Visit Malaysia 2026 video excluded mosques — minister ordered a redo within one week

In January 2025, Tourism Malaysia released a 41-second promotional teaser video for Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) during the launch of the campaign's logo, mascot, theme song, and aircraft design. The video featured tourist destinations including Batu Caves, an old church in Melaka, Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown, Central Market, Langkawi Skywalk, and Malay martial arts (silat). However, the video did not feature any mosques, despite Malaysia being 63.5% Muslim.

Netizens criticized the exclusion of mosques as insensitive and excluding essential representations of Malaysia's Islamic identity. DATAXET Nama found 95% negative sentiment regarding the mosque exclusion: 35% expressed frustration over lack of Islamic representation, 20% criticized ministry insensitivity, and 10% called for accountability or resignation. A press aide stated non-Muslim places of worship were depicted because they are tourist attractions, but this explanation did not quell backlash.

A second controversy emerged when netizens accused the artist of generating the mascots 'Wira' and 'Manja' using Artificial Intelligence rather than original art. Graphic artist Emes Zack publicly questioned the authenticity. The alleged artist's son denied AI use, sharing photos of test designs, but skeptics demanded professional concept art to prove human creation. Tourism Minister Tiong King Sing ordered a new promotional video to be aired within one week, divided by zones to clearly identify state-specific attractions.

The 41-second teaser was pulled and a redo ordered within one week after 95% negative sentiment over mosque exclusion.

The video excluded mosques despite Malaysia being 63.5% Muslim, showing insensitivity to the country's Islamic identity.

Mascots were accused of being AI-generated rather than original art, raising concerns about authenticity in a national tourism campaign.

The press aide's explanation that non-Muslim places of worship were depicted because they are tourist attractions was perceived as dismissive.

Visit Malaysia 2026's video excluded mosques despite Malaysia being 63.5% Muslim. Minister ordered a redo. Excluding mosques from a tourism video in a Muslim-majority country is a blind spot.

Tourism Minister Tiong King Sing ordered a new promotional video divided by zones to clearly identify state-specific attractions. The original video was deleted. Keywords such as 'complain,' 'angry,' and 'doubt' indicated eroded trust in the campaign creators and government competence.