MIRI: Miri Mayor Adam Yii (pic) yesterday refuted a claim by the Malaysian Association of Hotels(MAH) Sarawak Chapter honorary secretary-general John Teo that unlicensed hotel operators were affecting negatively the employment and tourism sectors in the long run.
“I don’t think his figures are correct or realistic,” said Yii when asked to comment on Teo’s statement.
“Miri City ought to have hotels, inns and lodging houses to cater for all types of travellers and visitors,” he said, adding that MCC was working towards licensing the unlicensed hotels, inns and lodging houses provided they complied with the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) safety requirements and other conditions.
He said that the council had also issued provisional licences to establishments which had complied with the essential safety conditions while waiting for the approval of the other conditions,” he revealed.
“Notices will be issued to unlicensed establishments to remind them to get the licence. If they don’t take any action to apply for the licence, action will be taken against them.”
Teo in his statement early this year claimed that licensed hotel operators in Miri were losing RM100mil a year from 2014 to 2017 to unlicensed hotel operators.
He was quoted as saying: “From Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2017, approximately one million hotel room nights were taken by unlicensed hotel operators in Miri City at an average room rate of RM70 per night.”
“It is estimated that unlicensed rooms will reach 3,500 if additional rooms are not being controlled,” added Teo.
