KUCHING: The Sarawak state government is withdrawing the participation of its representative in the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB).
The Chief Minister’s Office, in a two-paragraph press statement issued yesterday, said the decision to withdraw was with immediate effect.
“The state government deems that the participation of its representatives in Tourism Malaysia is not necessary as this is duplicating the role and functions of the Sarawak Tourism Board,” it explained.
It is not clear if the state government’s move is in response to a public outburst by Federal Minister of Tourism and Culture Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz when he labelled State Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports, Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah as being “setahun jagung” (political greenhorn) and ignorant on the working of tourism tax effecting all states. He even went on to describe and liken Abdul Karim’s action in requesting for a deferment of the tourism tax on Sarawak as an act of samseng (thugs).
When asked yesterday to comment on the Sarawk State Government’s decision, Abdul Karim replied through whatsApp, “The CM Office has given its comment. Not necessarily further comment from me. Likewise on Nazri’s comment…it has been deliberated.”
Abdul Karim declined to comment when asked if he had viewed the video and how he felt about Nazri’s outburst and uncouth statement on him or if he planned to meet Nazri after this and sort things out.
