CM wants tourism tax held back until early next year

KOTASAMARAHAN: Sarawak wants the federal government to postpone the implementation of the tourism tax until early next year

Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said the tourism tax should be waived until early next year because many local tour agents and hotels have made and paid forward bookings for their packages for early next year.

“That is why, give us time. We want until early next year to implement the tourism tax. That also, the collection from the tax must be fairly distributed to Sarawak,” he said when officiating at the Samarahan Division Hari Raya Aidilftri gathering at Samarahan Civic Centre here on Wednesday.

Besides, it is also impossible to implement the tourism tax now as the infrastructure is still not ready, he added.

The tourism tax was originally slated to come into effect on July 1 but was postponed due to opposition from tourism industry players and the Sarawak and Sabah governments.

The tourism tax will see local and international tourists having to pay a levy to operators of registered accommodation premises.

The tax per room- night for non-rated hotels will be RM2.50, while the tax for two- star hotels will be RM5; three- star RM10, four- star RM15 and five- star RM20.

However, it was recently announced that Malaysians may be exempted from paying the tourism tax when they stay in hotels rated three- star and below.

Meanwhile, Abang Johari said the state government has to do some ‘homework' before meeting their federal counterpart to negotiate on the state's rights under Malaysia Agreement 1963 ( MA63).

“Nowadays we need to do homework. If no homework, then don't talk. When we have done our homework, then we know what we can do...That was why I sent a team of lawyers to London.

“Tok Nan ( former Chief Minister the late Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem) said we cannot meet or negotiate (with the federal government) blindly without doing homework.”

In stressing the commitment of the state government to defend the state's rights under the MA63, he said the state government would negotiate with the federal government to return the state's rights if it was found that the rights have been eroded.

He added: “This is the message of Tok Nan. So I try, but if cannot then what to do. At least when I die and meet Tok Nan, I can tell him that I have tried but things did not work out (as expected).”