KUCHING: There is a need to streamline the law on tourism to empower Sarawak to have a bigger right.
Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said when Malaysia was established back in 1963, the portfolio of tourism was not included in the federal list, state list nor the concurrent list.
Therefore, he added, tourism was put under the residual list which automatically becomes a state matter, however, in 1992, a bill was tabled to put tourism under the federal list without consulting the state.
“But we did not make a fuss of it because at that time, the federal and state governments were in the same party. Our MPs did not debate on it, hence it was bulldozed through.
“It was just a small matter and became a federal matter but if it was objected to, the whole bill could have collapsed as the state was never consulted.
“So now, we want that to be returned back to us under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63),” he said during a press conference at the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN) on Tuesday.
He disclosed that Sarawak is still discussing oil rights along with other rights while slowly going towards the discussion on tourism along with education and health rights for Sarawak.
“We’ll take our time. As it is, we are working with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture and we have no issues on the rights. Tourism needs to be worked on together.
“At the end of the day, we want tourism to thrive in Malaysia. That is why we are not making a big issue out of it,” he said.
But Abdul Karim opined that it is better that tourism be put under the concurrent list.
“The discussion should be going smoothly on the matter but Sabah has suddenly come up with their own different outlook.
“They want to put tourism in the state list but for Sarawak, it doesn’t matter to us (where tourism is put under),” he said.
