Tourism minister calls for end to entry restrictions on tourists already here

The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry has urged for an end to restrictions against visitors who are in the country from entering tourist attractions.

Minister Mohamaddin Ketapi (photo) said a formal written request will be submitted to the management of tourist sites that have imposed such restrictions in light of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak.

"Those already in the country are healthy tourists and we will write to these tourist attractions.

"Please do not restrict these tourists from visiting the places they want," he said after a joint special meeting and briefing session together with Health Ministry officials in Putrajaya today.

"This is not good, this is absolutely wrong.

"We want to restrict people who are already in the country? What is all this?" he said when asked for comments on a reported move by the management of Putrajaya's Putra Mosque to restrict the entry of non-Muslim visitors.

Beginning Sunday, the mosque's management informed that it will deny entry to non-Muslim visitors, following concerns over the new coronavirus outbreak.

A mosque spokesperson said the entry restriction will be in effect until a yet to be determined date, and for now, only Muslim visitors will be allowed in for prayers.

"Non-Muslim visitors can still take photographs, but only up to the mosque's main gate (before its security checkpoint)," the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Mohamaddin said the temporary ban on new tourists from Hubei province would not affect the ministry's goal for the country to earn RM100 billion in tourism income this year.

This is as there are many other tourists from other parts of the world visiting the country.

"We still maintain our target for 30 million tourists and RM100 billion income," he said.

- Mkini