Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing has taken Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor to task for repeatedly issuing “arrogant” statements that the former deemed could tarnish Kedah’s tourism industry.
Tiong’s remarks came after Sanusi reportedly invited him to visit Langkawi following his statement in the Dewan Rakyat last Tuesday (Sept 19), claiming that some government representatives had allegedly harassed tourists on dress codes and alcohol usage.
Tiong (above) was also quoted by the New Straits Times as telling Langkawi MP Mohd Suhaimi Abdullah in the August House that even non-Muslim tourists found it difficult to wear shorts or purchase alcohol on the island due to restrictions enforced by security personnel.
Therefore, Tiong asserted that Sanusi, as the state menteri besar, has to explain the restrictions.
Sanusi has since denied Tiong’s claims and was quoted by Free Malaysia Today as saying that the Kedah government would not investigate the matter “as the claims by Tiong were unfounded”.
The ‘head’ must take care of all
In response, Tiong stressed in a statement today that visiting each state to understand problems faced by the state’s respective local tourism industry is his duty and obligation.
He called on Sanusi to go to the ground and if the latter finds that such issues do exist, it shows that the problem has become a bigger and more serious matter.
“When it comes to existing problems, all quarters are responsible for paying serious attention and finding a solution instead of acting hastily and denying the efforts of any quarter or just turning a blind eye as if nothing happened.
“As the ‘head of the family’ in Kedah, Sanusi should prioritise the welfare of Kedahans in all matters.
“At the same time, (he should also) collaborate and establish communication with Abdul Hadi Awang, who is the ‘head of the PAS family’, in finding methods to promote positive development in the state.
He reiterated that he raised the issue solely to improve and find solutions to existing weaknesses involving the tourism industry nationwide, not just focusing on certain states such as Kedah.
“We cannot deny the weaknesses that exist, including the leakage and abuse of power by certain quarters who try to take advantage for their personal interests.
“We need to play a role together to ensure that negative incidents that do not bring benefits or even harm the country should not be repeated in the future.
“Don’t ever portray Malaysia as an extreme country dominated by religious extremists and certain races, just because they are greedy for their own publicity without paying attention to the negative effects that are detrimental to Malaysians,” he added. - Mkini
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