MBI-Perak Media Langkawi Retreat: Strengthening Strategic Ties and Tourism Connections
For three days in Langkawi, members of the Perak media joined the Ipoh City Council (MBI) for a retreat that went beyond the usual meetings and official engagements. Held from 20 to 22 September 2026, the MBI-Perak Media Langkawi Retreat brought together MBI officers, media practitioners and tourism industry representatives for a mix of discussion, learning, networking and destination visits.
With Langkawi as the backdrop, the programme offered an opportunity to look at communication and tourism from a wider perspective, while strengthening the working relationship between MBI and the media.
The delegation was led by the City Council’s Corporate Director Puan Faridah binti Abdul Aziz.
Where media and local government meet
MBI works closely with the media to share information on its policies, public services, programmes and initiatives with the community. This makes a strong relationship between MBI and media practitioners important for effective public communication.
The retreat provided a more relaxed setting for the delegates to spend time together, exchange views and better understand the different roles they play in communicating with the public.
And in today’s digital environment, simply getting information out quickly is no longer enough. Information needs to be accurate, transparent and handled with integrity, particularly when audiences can receive news through multiple channels almost instantly.
The retreat therefore served as an opportunity to look at how communication can continue to evolve while maintaining public confidence and trust.
Writing in the age of AI
One of the programme’s highlights was a session focusing on Effective Written Communication and the use of Artificial Intelligence in news writing and broadcast.
AI has rapidly become part of the communications landscape, and its arrival has naturally raised questions about how it should be used in content production, as the way information is prepared, communicated and consumed continues to change.
For media practitioners, technology may change the tools used to produce a story, but the fundamentals of good communication remain important.
The workshop provided a platform for participants to discuss these developments while looking at the continuing importance of effective writing.
Among those who shared their insights, experiences and knowledge with the participants were Mohamad Hafizi, Editor of Malaysia Gazette (Perak), and DJ Ros from Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM).
A taste of Langkawi’s tourism network
The retreat also had a strong tourism element. After all, there was perhaps no better place to have conversations about tourism than Langkawi, one of Malaysia’s best-known island destinations.
On 20 September, the MBI delegation attended a dinner and networking session with the Persatuan Penggiat Industri Pelancongan Langkawi and Kelab Media Elit Kedah at CenangHill Beachfront.
The gathering included En. Hisham bin Yem, Vice President of the Persatuan Penggiat Industri Pelancongan Langkawi; En. M. Hifzuddin bin Ikhsan from the Kelab Media Elit Kedah; En. Abd Razak bin Mohd Ali, Deputy Chairman of Persatuan Pengamal Media Perak (PPMP); and En. M. Irwan Rafei, Operations Manager of CenangHill Beachfront.
Tourism industry players and media representatives from Kedah and Perak were also part of the evening.
Beyond the dinner itself, the gathering created an opportunity for people from different parts of the tourism and communications sectors to get acquainted, share experiences and discuss possible areas of cooperation.
@emily2umedia On 20 September, the MBI delegation attended a dinner and networking session with the Persatuan Penggiat Industri Pelancongan Langkawi and Kelab Media Elit Kedah at CenangHill Beachfront. The gathering included En. Hisham bin Yem, Vice President of the Persatuan Penggiat Industri Pelancongan Langkawi; En. M. Hifzuddin bin Ikhsan from the Kelab Media Elit Kedah; En. Abd Razak bin Mohd Ali, Deputy Chairman of Persatuan Pengamal Media Perak (PPMP); and En. M. Irwan Rafei, Operations Manager of CenangHill Beachfront. Read more: https://www.emily2u.com/mbi-perak-media-langkawi-retreat-strengthening-strategic-ties-tourism-connections/ #MBI #Ipoh #Langkawi
This informal networking can be as valuable as formal meetings, particularly in an industry where relationships and information sharing play a crucial role.
Looking at Langkawi through an Ipoh lens
While the retreat took place in Langkawi, Ipoh remained very much part of the conversation.
One of the reasons for engaging with tourism stakeholders in Langkawi was to gain insight into the approaches used in destination development and promotion, and to consider what lessons might be relevant to Ipoh.
The two destinations are, of course, very different. Langkawi’s identity is closely associated with its island environment, beaches and nature-based tourism, while Ipoh has its own strengths in heritage, food, culture and the surrounding landscapes of Perak.
There is no expectation that one destination should simply copy another. Instead, looking at how other destinations operate can provide ideas about destination management, branding, promotion and cooperation between the public and private sectors.
For a city seeking to strengthen its tourism offering, these exchanges can be useful in identifying new possibilities while remaining true to its own character.
Continuing the conversation with LADA
The following day, the MBI delegation attended a dinner hosted by the Langkawi Development Authority (LADA).
The session was attended by En Mohammad Shauqi bin Md Rezali, Information Officer at LADA’s Corporate Services Unit, together with members of the agency’s management team.
Discussions covered a range of tourism-related matters, including destination development, city branding, tourism promotion and strategic communication.
There was also an opportunity to exchange experiences on how different parties can work together to support tourism.
The involvement of local authorities, government agencies, industry players and the media is particularly relevant when it comes to promoting a destination. Each has a different role, but their efforts can complement one another when there is good communication and a shared understanding of the destination’s direction.
Outside the conference room
Not everything during the retreat happened around a table. Participants also visited several locations around Langkawi to observe tourism development, management and promotion at first hand.
For media practitioners, these visits also provide a chance to experience a destination as visitors do. Seeing how an attraction is presented, how a tourism site is managed and how visitors move through an experience can offer insights that are difficult to gain from a presentation alone.
For MBI, these observations form part of the broader exercise of learning from Langkawi and considering how selected approaches might be adapted to Ipoh.
Strengthening the Perak-Kedah engagement
The retreat also highlighted the value of closer connections between Perak and Kedah. Both states have established tourism destinations, but each offers a different range of experiences.
Bringing tourism stakeholders and media practitioners from both sides together creates opportunities for knowledge sharing and potentially for future cooperation. For MBI, building these networks is part of a wider effort to strengthen Ipoh’s tourism ecosystem.
For the media, stronger relationships with tourism stakeholders can also lead to better communication and greater awareness of developments beyond the usual geographical boundaries.
And for the tourism industry, having more opportunities to connect with media and public-sector representatives can help to create a better understanding of how destinations can work together.
A rapport beyond three days in Langkawi
The retreat may have lasted for only three days, but the relationships formed during it can continue much longer.
The MBI-Perak Media Langkawi Retreat provided an opportunity for MBI to strengthen its relationship with the media while opening up conversations with tourism agencies and industry players.
It also gave delegates the chance to step away from their usual working environment, exchange ideas and look at destination development from another perspective.
For Ipoh, the lessons from Langkawi are not about becoming another Langkawi. They are about looking at what another destination has done, understanding why certain approaches work within its own setting and considering whether there are ideas that can be adapted to Ipoh’s own tourism, heritage and gastronomy landscape.
The retreat is expected to lead to continued collaboration in areas including tourism, strategic communication, expertise sharing, city branding and promotion.
Ultimately, the goal goes beyond a single retreat or networking session. It is about bridging MBI, the media, government agencies and the tourism industry, fostering closer cooperation and creating opportunities to share knowledge, ideas and expertise in support of Ipoh’s continued development as a sustainable, competitive and prosperous city under the Ipoh Bestari Sejahtera aspiration.
