Group holds protest at KK airport over ‘illegal’ tour guides
KOTA KINABALU: A group of local tour guides protested against a tour company for allegedly hiring illegal tour guides for Chinese tourists at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport here.
The two-hour protest took place after the tourists arrived on a chartered flight from Zhengzhou at 12.30am on Saturday. They were on a holiday trip coordinated by a local tour company run by a South Korean.
Those who protested held placards with the words, “Sabah does not welcome illegal operator” and “Sabah does not welcome unlicensed tour guides”.
During the protest, the angry tour guides confronted the tourist group and their leader, questioning the legitimacy of the group’s tour guides. The tourists were stranded for two hours after their guides fled fearing for their own safety.
Tourism and Culture Ministry (Motac) state director Ag Ahmad Zaki Abu Bakar said the local tour guides’ accusation was unfounded.
He said Motac had carried out an investigation and found that the tour company had conducted its business legally according to the Tourism Industry Act 1992.
“The tour company had a licensed tour guide and tour buses waiting at the airport to receive the tourists.
“The local tour guides’ conduct at the airport is uncalled for and has painted a negative image to the tourists. Their action has caused the tourists to be stranded.”
Motac had requested police to launch an investigation to ascertain whether the gathering was illegal, adding that it would revoke the protesters’ licences if they were found guilty.