KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – About 4,000 taxi drivers in the Klang Valley will be appointed tourism taxi 'ambassadors' in an effort to enhance the nation's service industry, Tourism Minister Ng Yen Yen said Tuesday (February 28th).

Ng told reporters the programme would begin in mid-March, with 100 taxi drivers to be recruited for the pilot project.

According to The Malaysian Star, the pilot project, meant to provide drivers with "capacity building" to understand their roles better as it pertains to nation-building, is part of the government's initiative to achieve 168 billion ringgit ($56 billion) in tourism revenue and 36 million tourist arrivals by 2020, she added.

The drivers would be briefed on new tourism products and government initiatives, she said, and will be monitored for six months after taking a one-day training course.