June 12, 2017
KUCHING: The Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah rejected a notion that his spat with a federal minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, who is the Minister of the Tourism and Culture Minister, over the tourism tax has caused the Sarawak Government to withdraw the participation of its representative in Malaysia Tourism Board.
Abdul Karim, as quoted by TheBorneoPost today, said the decision had nothing to do with the spat.
Hours earlier, the Sarawak Chief Minister's Office has issued a statement that the decision will take immediate effect.
The state government deems that the participation of its representative in Tourism Malaysia is not necessary as this is duplicating the roles and functions of the Sarawak Tourism Board.
Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun has also voiced his opinion, calling the decision a “good move”.
Meanwhile, an insider source said it was up to the media to speculate if the move had anything to do with the recent public outburst of Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz when he said that state minister for Tourism Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah was “ignorant” on the workings of the Tourism Tax affecting all states, even to the extent to describe Abdul Karim’s request for a deferment of the tax on Sarawak as an act of gangsterism.
Another source said that the withdrawal is indeed the state government’s current stance, but declined to elaborate further.
The state government has also indicated that it will deliberate on the Tourism Tax in the next cabinet meeting.
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