Surabaya, brace yourself. You’re about to be wined, dined, danced at, and if the brochures are anything to go by, possibly offered a cardiology consultation while you’re at it. Malaysia Fair 2025 is rolling into town, and it’s not arriving quietly.
From 25–28 September, Pakuwon Mall will be transformed into a pop-up version of Malaysia itself: heady with laksa aromas, alive with traditional dancers’ swirls, and buzzing with doctors and hospital reps who look as if they’ve just stepped out of a lifestyle magazine.
This is no garden-variety travel expo. It’s the first-ever alliance between Tourism Malaysia and the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC), and the result is a four-day extravaganza that sells Malaysia as both a playground and a place to heal. Think of it as a tourism campaign with a stethoscope around its neck.
Where medicine takes the stage (next to the satay)
Medical tourism doesn’t usually conjure images of stage shows and shopping mall fanfare. But Malaysia has always done things with a flair for theatre. For the fifth time in Surabaya, MHTC is bringing in its star performers: hospitals that Indonesians already whisper about in family WhatsApp groups when someone needs a second opinion.
Tourism Malaysia and MHTC Bring Malaysia Fair 2025 to Surabaya: A Celebration of Culture, Cuisine, Travel, and Healthcare Excellence. Source Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council
The cast includes names like Institut Jantung Negara (IJN), Island Hospital, Mahkota Medical Centre, and Subang Jaya Medical Centre. Supporting roles come from IVF clinics, cardiac specialists, and world-class players such as Gleneagles, Prince Court Medical Centre, and Sunway Medical Centre.
“Through our new tagline Healing Meets Hospitality, we are excited to showcase Malaysia’s unique offerings as a healthcare destination,” said Mr Lokman Izam Abd Aziz, Vice President of Marketing & Communications at MHTC. “Beyond treatments, Malaysia is a place where you can truly heal your mind, body, and soul, comforted by both our medical and tourism experiences.”
The subtext is obvious: why endure long flights and inflated bills in the West when Malaysia can fix your heart, pamper your soul, and still send you home with a shopping bag full of duty-free chocolates?
Food: Malaysia’s strongest passport
Of course, you can’t sell Malaysia without feeding people. And at this fair, food is front and centre.
From 26–28 September, The Westin Surabaya’s Magnolia Restaurant will host a Malaysian food festival, with a guest chef flown in from Penang Marriott Hotel. Expect satay skewers dripping with peanut sauce, bowls of fiery laksa, rendang so tender it barely holds itself together, and nasi lemak fragrant enough to start a diplomatic incident.
“Food is indeed part of our identity, and eating is one of Malaysians’ favourite pastimes,” said Mr Hairi Mohd Yakzan, Director of Tourism Malaysia Jakarta. “Thus, gastronomy can be a strong selling point to promote our country.”
No argument there. In Malaysia, eating isn’t just a pastime; it’s a competitive sport. And if there’s one thing likely to lure Surabayans across the Strait, it’s the promise of more meals than the human body strictly needs.
Music, dance and a frothy spectacle
Then there’s the entertainment. Visitors can expect traditional dance troupes, family-friendly games and the inevitable appearance of the Teh Tarik King, Malaysia’s very own rock star of foamy tea-pulling theatrics.
Children will gawp, parents will applaud, and somewhere in the background, a man from a hospital will still be smiling beside a banner offering angioplasty packages. This joyous and practical mix makes Malaysia Fair feel unlike anything else.
Education joins the party.
Malaysia isn’t forgetting the scholars either. Universities such as Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), UCSI University and Todak Academy will be pitching opportunities to study across the Causeway. It’s an astute move: today’s Indonesian students are tomorrow’s repeat visitors, cultural interpreters, and long-term friends of Malaysia.
Friendship, rivalry and the bigger picture
On the surface, Malaysia Fair is a cultural celebration. But scratch a little deeper, and it’s also a strategic move in the regional tourism chess game.
“Malaysia Fair 2025 is an immersive showcase of the very best that Malaysia has to offer,” said Mr Hairi. “This year’s first-time collaboration with MHTC allows us to broaden our appeal, combining the allure of cultural and leisure travel with the trust and prestige of Malaysia’s healthcare services.”
Translation: Malaysia knows it’s up against heavyweights. Thailand’s been selling itself as the region’s medical darling for years. Singapore has its spotless efficiency and polished image. South Korea has made cosmetic surgery practically an art form.
Malaysia’s counterpunch? The warmth of familiarity, competitive costs, and the promise that you can fix your heart, feed your soul, and fill your Instagram feed all on the same trip.
Why Surabaya?
Surabaya isn’t just any city. It’s Indonesia’s commercial powerhouse, home to families who travel, study abroad, and increasingly seek trusted healthcare abroad. Landing Malaysia Fair here is like setting up shop in the middle of a willing audience.
And with Visit Malaysia 2026 and MYMT2026 on the horizon, this is only the beginning. Tourism Malaysia is openly courting Indonesian influencers, media outlets and content creators to keep Malaysia on the radar. The fair is the curtain-raiser to a two-year campaign.
Final word: Malaysia’s fair play
So what’s Malaysia Fair 2025 really about? It’s about selling a country not just as a holiday, but as a whole-of-life destination. A place where you can laugh, eat, dance, study and should the need arise, check into one of Asia’s top hospitals.
Surabaya will see it all: the colour, the flavour, the rhythm, the reassurance. And by the end of the four days, Malaysia hopes its neighbour across the Strait will be thinking not “should we visit?” but “how soon can we go?”
Because when a nation can make cardiology and curry sound equally tempting, you know it’s playing a very clever game.
By Charmaine Lu
