Tourism Malaysia has announced the appointment of Mohd Amirul Rizal bin Abdul Rahim as its new director-general, effective 8 December 2025. He succeeds Datuk Manoharan Periasamy, who officially retired on 6 December 2025.
Mohd Amirul Rizal, who began his career with Tourism Malaysia on 2 September 2002, has since served across a wide range of portfolios in the organisation’s marketing and promotional divisions.
His past roles include positions in the Research Division, director of the Tourism Malaysia Terengganu State Office, and director of the Tourism Malaysia Seoul Office in South Korea (2008). He also served in the Domestic & Events Promotion Division, International Promotion Division (Asia & Africa), and most recently as senior director of advertising & digital. He additionally played a key role as chief secretariat for Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026).
With 23 years of experience across tourism marketing and promotion, Mohd Amirul Rizal’s appointment is expected to further strengthen Malaysia’s tourism growth as the country gears up for Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) and positions itself as a world-class destination.
Beyond his official responsibilities, he is active in organisational engagement and currently serves as president of the Tourism Malaysia Recreation Club. He holds a Master’s Degree in Tourism Management from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM).