‘Immigration autonomy integral right of Sarawak in MA63’

September 19, 2018

KUCHING: Opposition MP, Umno stalwart and supreme council member Datuk Seri Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz has been told to read back history books on how Malaysia was formed before making presumptions that Sarawak will lose its immigration autonomy upon gaining equal status with Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia as regions.

Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah yesterday said immigration autonomy is an integral right of Sarawak and there should not be any compromise on it.

“Likewise, it’s the same with the status of Sarawak as signatory to the Malaysia Agreement.

“Sarawak penned the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) with Federation of Malaya and not with Perak or any of the Malayan states,” pointed out Abdul Karim, who is Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) vice president and Asajaya assemblyman.

Sarawak to hold discussions with Najib over tourism tax share

September 1, 2017

This is because the tax collection will be made by the finance ministry, and Najib is the finance minister, says Sarawak minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

PETALING JAYA: The Sarawak government plans to hold discussions with Prime Minister Najib Razak over the state’s share of the tourism tax revenue.

Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said this was because the tax collection would be made by the finance ministry, and Najib is the finance minister.

Karim ‘mempelawa’ Nazri ke Sarawak jelaskan pembahagian kutipan Cukai Pelancongan

August 17, 2017

KUCHING: Menteri Pelancongan, Kesenian, Kebudayaan, Belia dan Sukan Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah ‘mempelawa’ Menteri Pelancongan dan Kebudayaan Malaysia Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz datang ke Sarawak untuk menjelaskan mengenai pembahagian kutipan Cukai Pelancongan yang akan berkuat kuasa 1 September depan di seluruh negara.

Karim berkata demikian ketika diminta mengulas komen Nazri kelmarin bahawa Sabah dan Sarawak boleh menghubungi beliau daripada mengeluarkan kenyataan menerusi media sekiranya kurang jelas mengenai Cukai Pelancongan yang baharu diperkenalkan itu.

“Kita tidak memulakannya, kita hanya komen kenyataan beliau (Nazri). Dia sendiri yang mengatakan kutipan Cukai Pelancongan akan dibahagi sama rata kepada Semenanjung Malaysia, Sabah dan Sarawak.

Karim blasts Nazri over tourism tax

August 16, 2017

KUCHING: Tourism and Culture Datuk Nazri Aziz should look at Sarawak and Sabah from a different perspective and not to equate them with states in Malaya, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said today.

He made the comment when reacting to Nazri’s call for Sarawak and Sabah to come and see him on the tourism tax distribution.

Sarawak and Sabah governments have expressed their unhappiness with Nazri for saying that the two states would receive RM1 for every RM10 collected from tourism tax.

World Scout Conference 2020 can boost country’s tourism industry

August 7, 2017

KUCHING: The Scouts Association of Malaysia wants to bid for the rights to host the 2020 World Scout Conference in Kuala Lumpur, not only for the benefit of the movement but also because it will help boost the country’s tourism industry.

Chief Scout of Malaysia Tan Sri Dr Shafie Mohd Salleh, in citing the relocation of the World Organisation of the Scout Movement (WOSM) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, to Menara Sentral Vista in Kuala Lumpur, said they had been busy organising various activities.

Shafie (left) presents a medal and certificate to veteran Sarawak Scout member Muhammad Su’ut Amin. The 89-year-old was among over 1,500 Scouts taking part in the Mount Serapi Climbathon at Kubah National Park near Kuching yesterday.

“When we succeeded in making Malaysia the WOSM headquarters, Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz (Minister of Tourism and Culture) commended us,” he said, adding that if the Scouts from the Arab countries came to Malaysia, they would come in large numbers and would spend big.

Why only one ringgit?

July 31, 2017

KUCHING: The federal Tourism and Culture Ministry must explain to Sarawak and Sabah why their share of the tourism tax collected from foreigners visiting Malaysia has been reduced to RM1 for every RM10 collected when originally the total collection was to be divided equally among Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah.

Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said he was taken aback by this sudden reduction.

“This (equal distribution among the three regions)was proposed by the federal Tourism and Culture Minister (Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz) himself and later by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Abdul Karim: Tourism tax exemption for Malaysians is good news

July 27, 2017

KUCHING: Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has welcomed the federal government’s move to exempt Malaysians from the tourism tax.

“Any news where Malaysians do not have to pay additional taxes is always good news to all.

“I am glad that the Malaysian public is exempted from this tourism tax and hopefully the Finance Minister (Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) will confirm this good news,” he said.

Only Najib, not Nazri, can defer tourism tax implementation - Karim

June 28, 2017

KUCHING: Only Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, has the right to defer the date for the implementation of the tourism tax, said Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

Therefore, Abdul Karim said, it is not for federal Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz to announce the deferral date for implementation of the tourism tax.

“The right to defer the date (for the implementation of tourism tax) is on the Prime Minister in his capacity as the Minister of Finance and not the Minister of Tourism and Culture who earlier claimed that the enforcement of the tourism tax is on July 1 and now suddenly deferring it to Aug 1.

“We must remember that it was not the Ministry of Finance or the Prime Minister who came up with the date July 1.

“Under the Tourism Tax Act, the minister referred to is the Minister of Finance and he has the power to exempt or defer (the implementation of tourism tax). The Minister of Finance is our Prime Minister,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.

Minimal impact on tourist arrivals, Abdul Karim says of tourism tax

June 28, 2017

SIBU: The implementation of tourism tax will have minimal impact on the number of tourists coming to Sarawak, says Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

He was asked if the state would still be able to achieve the target of receiving five million tourists this year with the implementation of the new tax.

“Most of the tourists are domestic tourists as well as tourists from the neighbouring countries and majority of them do not stay in four or five star hotels. 

"Though it does affect their budget slightly, I believe it will not deter them from coming,” Abdul Karim told The Borneo Post yesterday.

The Asajaya assemblyman said what Sarawak needs to do is to upgrade and introduce more tourism packages and places of interest as well as more promotions.

‘Cancellation of trips by Chinese tourists alarming’

June 27, 2017

KUCHING: Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah described the cancellation of trips by 3,000 Chinese tourists to Malaysia and choosing Thailand as their preferred destination as alarming.

“This is what Malaysian Association of Hotels has informed me too and the reason why I wanted to have the enforcement date deferred and not to rush through the tourism tax. 

I will hold on temporarily,” he said when reacting to a front page article quoting Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (Maceos) acting vice-president Gracie Geikie as saying that these tourists had cancelled their plans because they had to pay tourism tax of about RM100,000.

Pembatalan lawatan 3,000 pelancong China ke Malaysia membimbangkan: Karim

June 27, 2017

KUCHING: Menteri Pelancongan, Kesenian, Kebudayaan, Belia dan Sukan Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah menyifatkan pembatalan lawatan 3,000 pelancong China ke Malaysia sebaliknya memilih Thailand sebagai destinasi pilihan adalah sesuatu yang membimbangkan.

“Ini seperti apa yang dimaklumkan oleh Persatuan Hotel Malaysia kepada saya dan ini jugalah kenapa saya mahu pelaksanaan Cukai Pelancongan (TT) ditangguhkan dan tidak terlalu tergesa-gesa untuk dilaksanakan.

“Saya mahu meminta tempoh tarikh penguatkuasaannya (TT) ditangguhkan,” katanya ketika dihubungi semalam.

Directly to state’s coffers

June 23, 2017

State says tourism tax inevitable but wants safeguard revenue collected is used to promote local tourism

Karim (right) addresses the media as Ik Pahon looks on.

KUCHING: The implementation of tourism tax is unavoidable since it has already been passed in Parliament, and Sarawak will abide by it.

However, the state wants its share of nationwide revenue from tourism tax collection to be channelled straight to the state government and not diverted elsewhere.

Stating this yesterday, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said Sarawak wants a win-win formula for the collection and distribution of the tax. 

The state’s stand was communicated to the federal government during a recent meeting between Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He disclosed that based on the outcome of that meeting, which took place few days ago, Najib has assured the tourism tax collection will be distributed among the three regions of Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak.

Okay with tourism tax but collection must go to Sarawak Government

June 22, 2017

Sarawak Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the state government will now accept the implementation of the tourism tax which will see customers being charged between RM2.50 to RM20 per hotel room per night depending on the ratings.

However, Abdul Karim said the state government wants a share of the tax to be channelled to Sarawak.

“We want our share from the tourism tax collection to go straight to the state government and not be channelled through other agencies or any other means.

Channel tax collection back to Sarawak, Abdul Karim says of tourism tax

June 22, 2017

Karim (right) addresses the media as Ik Pahon looks on.

KUCHING: Sarawak accepts the implementation of the tourism tax, but it wants its share of tax collected to be channelled straight to the state government, and not diverted elsewhere.

Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said this stand has been communicated to the federal government during a recent meeting between Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said based on the outcome of the meeting, the Prime Minister has assured that funds from the tourism tax collection would be distributed between the peninsular, Sabah and Sarawak.

“We want our share from the tourism tax collection to go straight to the state government and not be channeled through other agencies or any other means. 

"This will be a win-win formula, since the allocation will hopefully bring benefit to Sarawak in terms of promoting tourism.

Unfair or not, Sarawak subject to tourism tax

June 14, 2017

Sarawak minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, however, says the manner surrounding the implementation of the tax is unfair.

PETALING JAYA: Sarawak minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has conceded that come July 1, the state, too, will be subjected to the new tourism tax, despite his calls for it to be deferred.

This, said the Sarawak tourism, arts, culture, youth and sports minister,was because taxation powers rested with the Federal Government, not the state.

However, he insisted that the manner surrounding the implementation of the tax was unfair.

Karim: I don't blame State BN MPs

June 14, 2017

Abdul Karim speaks to reporters.

KUCHING: Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah does not blame state Barisan Nasional MPs for not participating in the Tourism Tax Bill debate as the debate was carried out in the wee hours of the morning.

He also said the Bill was the last to be debated that day out of six Bills scheduled in the Parliamentary Sitting’s Order of the Day.

“We must understand and look at it from a point of view that the Bill was the last to be tabled in the Parliament Sitting and if I’m not mistaken, it was tabled around 1am and ended around 4am.

‘State’s withdrawal from MTB not related to spat with Nazri’

June 13, 2017

KUCHING: State Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the decision of the Chief Minister Office to pull out from Malaysia Tourism Board (MTB) is not due to the spat between him and Tourism and Culture Minister Mohamed Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz.

He said the decision was made by Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg and he has his reasons for doing so.

“No, it is not related to what happened between Datuk Nazri and me,” he told The Borneo Post when asked whether the pullout was due to the recent exchange of words between him and Nazri.

Karim okay with Khairy's suggestion

June 12, 2016

SIMUNJAN: The tiff between Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz and Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah should be resolved in the spirit of Barisan Nasional, said Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin. 

The Barisan Youth chairman said he believed both individuals should sit down to resolve their differences, adding that it is important the solution should be based on the spirit of Barisan comradeship. 

It was reported that Nazri had labelled Abdul Karim, who is Sarawak Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister, as a "greenhorn" over his remarks on the implementation of tourism tax. 

"I just discussed the issue with Sarawak BN Youth chairman Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, and I hope it will be resolved in the Barisan spirit of musyawarah (discussion). We have the principle of comradeship and consensus, and that the issue should not be extended to the media," said Khairy. 

He said that he believes the issue will be settled as it is a policy matter which can be discussed between two ministers. 

Abdul Karim: The withdrawal is nothing to do with the spat with Nazri

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.

Nazri belum benar-benar kenal saya, kata Karim

June 12, 2017

Selepas disuruh tutup mulut, menteri pelancongan Sarawak berkata soal pelancongan negeri itu tidak dibutirkan dalam Perjanjian Malaysia dan oleh itu perlu melalui rundingan.

PETALING JAYA: Sehari selepas dipanggil menteri “setahun jagung” yang tidak berpengalaman, Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah menasihati Menteri Pelancongan Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz supaya lebih bersopan santun terutama pada bulan Ramadan.

“Kalau dia fikir saya jahil, saya rasa dia belum benar-benar kenal saya,” kata menteri pelancongan Sarawak itu dipetik Borneo Post hari ini.