KUCHING: The Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister (MoTAC) is set to review outdated provisions under in the 1992 Tourism Act to better protect tourists and the rights of travel agencies.
Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said the focus will be on regulatory issues pertaining to diving instructor licences, divers’ rights, and diving activity guidelines, among others.
He said these regulatory issues must be addressed promptly to prevent potential harm to the industry and the country’s image.
“These must be reviewed to better protect the rights and interests of tourists visiting Malaysia and to ensure that tourism operators abide by them.
“The most important aim is to shore up the reputation of the Malaysian tourism industry and boost the confidence of foreign tourists,” he said in a Facebook post.
In light of this, Tiong urged stakeholders such as the hotel and catering industries, tour guides, and travel agencies to exercise patience and cooperate to improve their professional quality and standards, collectively working towards the betterment of the tourism industry.
“Therefore, I solemnly appeal to the hotel industry, catering industry, tour guides, and travel agencies for their patience and cooperation to improve their professional quality and standards together,” he said.
He noted that as the tourism industry has begun to see increased tourist arrivals recently, a multitude of problems and disputes have also begun to crop up.
If these issues are not corrected or rectified in time, they may do more harm to the industry and our country’s image.
His remarks came after recent issues and disputes over counterfeit alcohol allegedly being sold in Langkawi and the controversy surrounding a case of indecent exposure involving a diving instructor and a foreign diver in Semporna.
These matters, he added, are bubbling under the surface, and it is crucial to address them to prevent their escalation and ensure a smooth recovery of the tourism industry post-pandemic.
On the issue of counterfeit alcohol, Tiong said it is not confined to tourist areas alone.
“Rather, many people have previously complained about the proliferation of fake wines in the market.
“Therefore, this issue must also be monitored by the Ministry of Health through periodical spot checks. Samples must also be brought back to test the authenticity of alcohol being sold,” he added.
On the same note, he encouraged tourists visiting Malaysia to report any wrongdoing, and stressed the importance of going through proper channels and reporting promptly.
This way, he said, the proper enforcement agencies can afford them the greatest protection.
“As far as I am aware, the tourist in the diving scandal had not reported the case immediately to the police, who could not then intervene appropriately.
“As a result, the case was not immediately investigated, leading to more complications in the collection of evidence,” he said, adding that everyone should take immediate action to protect themselves through the correct methods when facing similar situations.
Tiong assured the public that every complaint and feedback will be looked into.
