KUALA LUMPUR - Tourists can consider Malaysia's tough measures in battling the global spread of the influenza A (H1N1) virus as an assurance that the country is a safe place to visit.

Their well-being, said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen, "is not being taken lightly" by the country.

She believes that the H1N1 scare would not greatly affect the 10th Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival (MMSC) 2009 which began on Saturday.

"We are extremely careful to ensure that Malaysia is safe for everybody, We believe in safety above all," she said.

Dr Ng said tourists could expect a festive atmosphere since the mega sale carnival coincided with the KL Festival this month.

There will be cultural shows, street performances and theatre and music shows held around the Klang Valley.

Entry to some of these events is free.

During the mega sale carnival, there are activities such as the MMSC 2009 MasterCard contest, best window display contest and the shopping centres' award.

There will also be the Samrah Festival at Bukit Bintang here where Middle Eastern performances will be held every Friday and Saturday during the carnival.

Noting that shopping had become a very prominent feature of the tourism industry, Dr Ng said: "We have set up a secretariat to focus on this and work closely with the private sector."

When the country introduced the mega sale carnival in 2000, Dr Ng said shopping only constituted 23.1 per cent of the total tourist expenditure.

She added that last year, the figure went up to 27 per cent.

During last year's mega sale, she said MasterCard International recorded RM147.24 million worth of transactions by foreign cardholders, a 22.7 per cent increase compared with RM120 million in transactions in 2007.

--NST