Tourism ministry doesn’t owe you anything, Tiong tells Perlis

 

Tourism, arts and culture minister Tiong King Sing has told Perlis menteri besar Shukri Ramli his ministry is not sidelining the state.

PETALING JAYA: Perlis menteri besar Shukri Ramli should be able to find solutions to his state’s tourism funding needs instead of only waiting for a response from the tourism, arts and culture ministry, says its minister, Tiong King Sing.

Tiong said Shukri should not just wait for a written reply on Perlis’ request to meet and discuss its request for an allocation of RM4 million to upgrade eight tourist locations in the state.

“It may sound harsh, but it must be stressed that writing a letter does not mean the ministry owes you anything.

“The Perlis menteri besar must understand that as a leader, coordination and communication with other agencies are crucial.

“If that is how he works, then his ability to administer the state as the menteri besar should be questioned,” he said in a Facebook post.

Tiong also denied sidelining Perlis and not giving the state special allocations for its Visit Perlis Year (TMP) campaign for 2024-2025, saying the RM3.5 million allocation provided by the ministry is proof of the ministry’s fairness to all states.

“If Perlis is truly marginalised, why has the state been allocated funds? The ministry’s commitment to promoting the country’s tourism is steadfast, so there is no need to make misleading statements,” he said.

He said Shukri would only tarnish the image of the ministry and Perlis by repeatedly and maliciously making statements on the issue.

“Continuing to handle the issue in such an irrational manner will block any solutions, create misunderstandings, and does not benefit either party,” he said.

Shukri had previously expressed dissatisfaction with the ministry’s alleged lack of response to his requests for allocations to upgrade tourist destinations, particularly in connection with its Visit Perlis Year.

He said Tiong also failed to respond to Perlis’s request for a meeting to discuss its requests.

Tiong questioned why the matter of special allocations had been brought up, given that Perlis’s representatives did not bring it up when they attended the Nov 14 meeting of the National Committee for the Development of Tourism and Culture.

He called on Shukri to emulate the Melaka and Perak governments, which have actively involved the ministry in state events and arranged meetings to share their needs, displaying sincere efforts in promoting tourism, art and culture. - FMT