History
Tourist guiding in Malaysia started in the early 1960s. The first official tourist guides certification training course was organised in Kuala Lumpur in 1964, under the initiative of the late Mr. S.S. Virik who was then the Honourable Chairman of the Kuala Lumpur Tourist Guides’ Association (KLTGA). At that time, the lecturers and examiners involved were drawn from the various heads of governmental departments related to the tourism industry. A total of 64 participants attended the course and 40 participants being successfully awarded the certificate in tourist guiding.
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It was the initiative of some of these participants of tourist guides’ training courses who got together and decided to form the first tourist guides body in the country in 1967 known as the Kuala Lumpur Tourist Guides Association (KLTGA). Subsequently, with Malaysia hosting the PATA Conference in 1972, and with more tourists visiting Malaysia, the Penang Tourist Guides Association (PTGA) and the Johor Tourist Guides Association (JTGA) were also formed.
MTGC was officially registered on the 28 June 1976 under the founder President, the late Dr. Kon Fah Pen.
Objectives
The prime objectives then, and still are today, were to target Malaysian tourist guides to commit to professional practices thus maintaining the highest level of competence in their work, coordinating and organising of tourism related education and courses, looking into the overall interests and the welfare of tourist guides, promoting understanding and fellowship amongst all tourist guides and tourist guides’ associations of Malaysia, and to provide a platform for dialogues and discussions between the tourist guides, the tourist guides associations, other tourism partners, and the government.
The late Dr. Kon Fah Pen (KLTGA) served MTGC as President for 12 years until 1988 followed by Mr. Raymond Chan (PTGA) for 12 years until the present Mr. Jimmy Leong Wie Kong (JTGA) taking over the Presidency since the year 2000.
MTGC holds regular quarterly meetings throughout the country to discuss tourism related activities of state and national events and policies that affect both the tourism industry, and tourist guiding areas, initiating a host of programmes toward achieving its goals, including finding solutions to many of the problems constantly faced by the industry and tourist guides.
Over the years, among the major pertinent issues implemented by MTGC were surveys conducted to improve the profession, assisting in the formulation of NOSS (National Occupational Skill Standards) for tourist guides, coordinating and organising of tourist guides upgrading programmes known as Continuing Tourism Related education (CTRE) for licensed tourist guides, supporting and participation in governmental and non-governmental tourism events and the constant and regular liaison role played between the tourist guiding profession and the government. In other sectors, MTGC played a major role in cooperating with other tourism related organisations, such as the National Tourism Council of Malaysia (NTCM), and many other charitable and career enhancing activities both at the state and national levels.
Restructuring
A call for MTGC to restructure was made known on the 23 July 2002 during the 1st. National Tourist Guides Conference. This was in response to an official nationwide survey conducted by MTGC in the year 2000. The result of the survey conducted was analyzed and released at the beginning of the year 2001.
Based on the results of the survey, and taking into strong consideration of the needs of the tourist guides, the tourist guides associations, and that would also improve benefits to the tourism industry in general.
MTGC proposed a new set of Constitution to be considered for adoption in tandem with its restructuring plan to be implemented within the composition of the organization, and its Affiliates for the purpose of achieving greater progress and development of the tourist guiding profession.
The adopted new set of Constitution was approved by the Registrar of Societies on the 2 April 2008 and it paved the path for MTGC with a set of rules and regulations that would project its objectives, accountability and transparency to embark upon a challenging journey of ‘transformation’ encompassing the following identified tasks to be undertaken:
1. Promoting a Shared Vision and Value System;
2. Centralization and Standardization of All Tourist Guiding Policies;
3. Implementation of the MTGC’s Code of Ethics;
4. Addressing Individual Tourist Guide’s Welfare;
5. Maximizing the Consistency Level within MTGC and its Affiliates;
6. Implementation of Successful Communication Effectiveness;
7. Proper Fund Management;
8. Initiating Systematic Project Implementation and
9. Self Administration of MTGC.
Affiliations
Today, MTGC has a total of 13 affiliates representing about 5,000 tourist guides throughout Malaysia and they are:
Johor Tourist Guides Association (JTGA)
Kedah Tourist Guides Association (KTGA)
Kuala Lumpur Tourist Guides Association (KLTGA)
Langkawi Tourist Guides Association (LTGA)
Malacca Historical City Tourist Guides Association (MHCTGA)
Pahang Tourist Guides Association (PHTGA)
Perak Tourist Guides Association (PKTGA)
Sabah Tourist Guides Association (STGA)
Sarawak Tourist Guides Association (SKTGA)
Selangor Tour Guides Association (SGTGA)
Terengganu Tourist Guides Association (TTGA)
History of MTGC prepared by: President Jimmy Leong Wie Kong
Malaysian Tourist Guides Council
Dated: 9 March 2012