MBI RETREAT WITH MEDIA IN LANGKAWI STRENGTHENS STRATEGIC RELATIONS AND TOURISM NETWORKS

LANGKAWI, 21 SEPTEMBER 2026 – Ipoh City Council (MBI) continues to strengthen strategic relations with media practitioners and tourism industry players by organising the MBI Retreat with Media in Langkawi, Kedah, held for three days from 20 to 22 September 2026.  

The MBI delegation for the programme was led by Faridah Abdul Aziz, City Corporate Director of Ipoh City Council, who also officiated the retreat’s opening. 

The programme brought together MBI officers and practitioners from the print, electronic and digital media as a platform to foster closer ties, enhance mutual understanding and strengthen strategic cooperation between the local authority and the media.  

Among the main activities of the retreat was the Media Workshop, featuring topics on Effective Written Communication and the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in News Writing, in line with technological developments and the current communication landscape. 

According to Faridah, the media is one of MBI’s most important strategic partners in helping to effectively convey policies, programmes, services and information to the public.  

In the era of fast-paced digital communication, the delivery of information that is quick, accurate, transparent and with integrity is crucial to ensure the public receives authentic information, besides strengthening confidence in the public service delivery system.  

The retreat was also utilised to expand strategic networks in the tourism sector. On 20 September 2026, the MBI delegation attended a Dinner and Friendly Gathering Session with the Langkawi Tourism Industry Players Association and Kedah Elite Media Club at Cenang Hill Beach Resort.  

Also present at the event were Langkawi Tourism Industry Players Association Vice-President Hisham Yem, Kedah Elite Media Club Representative M. Hifzuddin Ikhsan, Perak Media Practitioners Association Deputy Chairman Abd Razak Mohd Ali and Cenang Hill Operations Manager M. Irwan Rafei, as well as tourism industry players and media partners from Kedah and Perak.  

On 21 September 2026, the MBI delegation attended a Dinner with the Langkawi Development Authority (LADA), which was also attended by Mohammad Shauqi Md Rezali, Information Officer of LADA’s Corporate Services Unit, together with the agency’s management team.  

The meeting and networking sessions provided opportunities for sharing experiences and views regarding destination development, city branding, tourism promotion, strategic communication and methods to strengthen cooperation among local authorities, agencies, industry players and the media.  

MBI recognises that there are various experiences and best practices from the development of Langkawi’s tourism sector that can be learned from and adapted to suit Ipoh’s context in its efforts to strengthen its position as a tourism, heritage and gastronomy city, as well as a preferred destination for domestic and international tourists.  

In addition to the workshop and strategic networking sessions, participants also visited several locations around Langkawi to take a closer look at the approaches to the development, management and promotion of tourism destinations that have been implemented.  

MBI hopes that the relationships established through this retreat can be continued and translated into closer cooperation in the fields of tourism, strategic communication, expertise sharing, city branding and promotion in the future.  

The organising of this MBI Retreat with Media reflects MBI’s commitment to continuously strengthen collaboration with the media, agencies and industry players as strategic partners in supporting the development of a sustainable, competitive and prosperous city, in line with the aspirations of Ipoh Bestari Sejahtera.