Three tour operator licenses revoked after boat tragedy

KOTA KINABALU: The Tourism and Culture Ministry (Motac) views seriously the Mengalum tragedy on January 28 which claimed the lives of four Chinese nationals while five others still remain missing.

In a follow-up action, the ministry has revoked the licenses of the three tour operators involved in the incident.

“We are not bringing any case to court for now since the offenders have already been charged in court. Although the issuance of the tour boat licenses is not under Motac’s jurisdiction, the ministry will work closely with all tour boat operators as the safety of tourists visiting Sabah is of highest concern and priority,” said Motac Sabah director, Ahmad Zaki.

Motac will not hesitate to take stern action against any tour operators who flout the law, including canceling the licenses of any errant operators.

“We have had experience with our last illegal white van campaign where a maximum of RM50,000 penalty under the Tourism Industry Act 1992 has managed to reduce the illegal activity drastically,” he said in a statement yesterday.

He added Motac planned to extend the same idea to cancel the license of any companies found flouting the law

Ahmad Zaki believes this will effectively curb the tour boat operators and unscrupulous companies given the effectiveness of the heavy penalty imposed on errant tour operators to adhere to the law that is not under Motac’s jurisdiction. Issuing a minimum compound will not solve the issue.

Towards this end, he urged operators to adhere strictly to all standard operating procedures (SOPs), ensure all their gear and equipment are current and sufficient, and keep updated on the competency of their staff and others.