Nazri: I have no time for states who aren't serious about tourism tax

Sabah and Sarawak have yet to approach Putrajaya to convey their dissatisfaction over their 10 percent share of revenue collected from tourism tax, said Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz.

He surmised that both states were not serious about the impending tourism tax to be imposed next month, and as a result, he has no time for the East Malaysian states.

"They have not (approached me), they only talked in the papers. What's the point of talking to the press?"  he told a press conference after launching a wax museum at I-City, Shah Alam.

"If you want to know (about the tax collection), come and see me. If he is not, I have no time for him. Don't waste my time," he said. 

"I take that you are not serious, you just want to make yourself well known and popular," he said. 

Despite this, he said his office was still open to ministers from both states who want to discuss issues related to the tourism tax with him.

The federal government has revised the revenue distribution of collected tourism tax to both Sabah and Sarawak from the initial 33.33 percent to a mere 10 percent each, which has provoked the ire of both state governments.

Sarawak has demanded its fair share of the tourism tax, which it claims is nothing less than 30 percent of the collected amount.

Nazri had on July 6, said revenue collected from the tourism tax will be channelled back to Sarawak and Sabah in equal proportions to the federal share - that is, 33.33 percent to each Borneo state.

He, however later changed his tune and announced that for every RM10 collected, RM1 would be returned to the respective state governments to fund their tourism promotion activities.

Sarawak Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah urged the federal government to explain its decision while Sabah Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Masidi Manjun wanted a higher share of tourism tax allocation for the state.

Nazri and Karim had earlier been engaged in a war of words over the introduction of the tourism tax nationwide.

Nazri had reportedly told Karim not to behave “like a gangster” after the latter repeatedly urged Putrajaya to defer the previous July 1 implementation of the tax for Sabah and Sarawak.

On another development, Nazri dismissed the speculation that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak would dissolve Parliament right after he tables Budget 2018 in October.

"Go on and speculate," he said.

Speculation is rife that Najib had indicated in a cabinet meeting last month that he would call for the general elections after tabling the budget. - Mkini