The Tourism and Culture Ministry will make optimal use of the collaboration forged with nine other ASEAN countries at the ASEAN Tourism Forum to lure more tourists and boost the tourism industry.

Its deputy minister, Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, said through the memorandum of understanding signed at the forum, which ended in Manila Friday, the national tourism industry was expected to be further developed and enlivened with the arrival of more tourists from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos.

"The cooperation forged at the four-day forum, which began last Wednesday, is seen capable of opening a new dimension of the tourism industry in ASEAN countries."

She said this to reporters after launching the Quran Recital Assembly for Masjid Tanah parliamentary constituency at the Al-Fattah Mosque in Kuala Sungai Baru here Sunday.

The exhibition and business-to-business sessions participated by the Malaysian delegation at the forum also received overwhelming response from other participants, she added.