“The tourism tax can be justified and explained. But a public spat between the leaders is making the effort harder”
KUALA LUMPUR: The law on the new tourism tax could have been articulated better to the state governments, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan.
Speaking to reporters after launching the World Bank Malaysian Economic Monitor, he said he personally believed that the tax was necessary to expand Malaysia’s revenue base.
“What was passed in Parliament was not articulated clearly to the state governments. I think that was the issue,” he said.
Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, the Sarawak state minister in charge of tourism, had urged Putrajaya to defer the new tourism tax, accusing the Federal Government of taking away the rights of the Sarawak state.
This provoked the ire of Culture and Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, who hit back at the state minister, calling him a political greenhorn.
On Monday, Abdul Rahman said Federal Ministers should be more accommodating when dealing with genuine questions and concerns from Sabah and Sarawak leaders.
“The tourism tax can be justified and explained. But a public spat between the leaders is making the effort harder,” he had tweeted.
Source: The Star Online
