Nazri contradicted self on tourism tax, says UPKO Youth

KOTA KINABALU: UPKO Youth wants Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz to make good his announcement that the tourism tax will be distributed equally by region.

According to the movement’s chief Arthur Sen, Nazri was reported on June 11 as saying that Sabah and Sarawak would be the biggest beneficiaries from the tourism tax as “the money will be split evenly by region (peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak), not state because if Perlis gets the same amount as Sarawak then it wouldn’t be fair”.

“So UPKO Youth is shocked when Nazri, in his latest announcement, said that only 10 per cent of the tourism tax collected in Sabah would be returned to the state.

This contradicts what he said about equal distribution and as a minister, Nazri must be careful about issuing statements that could confuse the rakyat,” Sen said in statement yesterday.

Sen said that there had been confusion as there were allegations that lawmakers from Sabah and Sarawak had supported the Bill when it was tabled and their support was taken as justification that the state governments also supported it.

UPKO Youth therefore suggests that the definition of consultation be rated and it should mean to refer to the consensual agreement between the state and federal governments on matters that are related to public policy and dealing with interest of the states, he stressed.

“The Federal Government cannot assume that just because there is support from the Members of Parliament from Sabah as well as its federal ministers, the state government agrees.

“There must be consultation and agreement from the states involved as this is part of what is written in the Malaysia Agreement 1963,” he pointed out.

UPKO Youth however welcomed the decision not to impose the tax on Malaysians as there are many who live in the rural areas and are low income earners, but do travel to the towns or city for dealings.