Tourism ministry prepared to help Sabah, but don’t insult my officials, says Tiong
Published on: Monday, June 24, 2024
By: FMT
Tiong King Sing says his ministry had requested the Sabah government to provide a master plan for tourism development, but they have ‘not seen a single page’ of this document nine months on.
PETALING JAYA: Tourism, arts and culture minister Tiong King Sing has denied claims his ministry did very little for Sabah’s tourism industry, saying such allegations were misleading and had belittled the efforts by the ministry’s officials.
In a Facebook post last night, Tiong said his ministry strove to enhance Sabah’s “competitiveness, convenience, and tourism safety”, including opening chartered flights to connect to the state.
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He said that from August 2023 to May this year, they had engaged the relevant parties, including Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor, to discuss improving airport clearance efficiency and other matters.
Tiong also said the ministry had requested the Sabah government to provide a master plan for tourism development, but claimed they have “not seen a single page” of this document nine months on.
“So, I ask, who is really not supporting Sabah’s tourism industry?
“I hope everyone can speak honestly and provide a ‘reasonable evaluation’ of our department officials,” he said.
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John Lo of the Sabah Economic Advisory Council said in an article published in the Daily Express last week that the federal tourism ministry ignored Sabah despite constant pleas for help since the Sabah tourism ministry was formed.
Lo said Sabah was denied additional flights, and the state was hit hard by the “closed sky policy’” which saw flights from other countries being barred from landing in Sabah. All flights into Sabah must be via Kuala Lumpur, he wrote.
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He said Sabah’s tourism industry was built by Sabahans against all odds, with “little help from Motac (Tiong’s ministry)”.
Tiong said that since assuming office, he had a team of dedicated colleagues who have worked tirelessly to promote Malaysian tourism, including boosting Sabah’s tourism and economic development.
However, their efforts have been inexplicably attacked and belittled, which is highly regrettable, he said.
He said if there were doubts or dissatisfaction with measures implemented by his ministry, the detractors should contact the ministry directly, adding that he was willing to engage in constructive discussions with anyone.
“While I am willing to answer criticisms, do not take this to mean that anyone can insult the ministry’s officials,” he said.
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