SARAWAK minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah was amazed that Finance Minister Li Guan Eng “blew his top” after Karim asked why has the state not been paid its share of tourism tax since its implementation on September 1, 2017.

Karim, who holds the tourism, arts, culture, youth and Sports portfolios, had on Friday told reporters that he does not know why Sarawak was not paid the tax while  Sabah had been paid.

Lim, in a statement today, said Sarawak should instead settle its RM2.5 billion debt with Putrajaya first before asking its RM2.7 million share – to date – in tourism tax revenue.

Lim also chided Karim for accusing Putrajaya of marginalising the state over the delay in payment and alleging unfair financial treatment, saying Sarawak has RM50 million in arrears that has yet to be settled.

“It is best that the Sarawak state government not make defamatory remarks on the distribution of RM2.7 million in tourism tax when as at November 30, 2018, the Sarawak state government still owes over RM2.5 billion to the federal government with nearly RM50 million in arrears.

“Seeing as the Sarawak state has a huge reserve, why isn’t it settling its debt to the federal government?” Lim said.

Karim, in his statement released via the Chief Minister’s Office, accused Lim of not being a gentleman and not addressing the issue professionally.

“Be a gentleman and address the issue professionally.

“Why must minister Guan Eng get emotional and blow his top, and ask Sarawak to pay back its outstanding loan to the federal government which is totally unrelated to the subject matter in question?” he said.

Though Karim would not comment on the loans as it is not under his purview, he briefly said the “Sarawak’s loans or debts to the federal government has its own terms and conditions of repayment”.

“It’s not for me to dwell into that subject matter as I know that’s for the Sarawak government to address.”

Karim said to deny Sarawak its portion of the tourism tax is not helping Sarawak’s tourism industry and the Malaysian economy.

He said the request for the payment was not an intention to defame or politicise the issue.

“But as the minister looking after Sarawak tourism, I am just asking for what was promised and due, whether from the previous government or the present government of the day.”

Karim also said Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Christina Liew had told him that the state’s share of the tourism tax has been paid.

“Am I politicising, or uttering defamatory words in my process of asking what is due and owing to the state over a subject matter that has been promised and pledged in Parliament that 50% of the tourism tax collected by any state would be channelled back to the respective states for the purpose of tourism development and activities?

“Even the exact amount of tourism tax collected from Sarawak is known. So what’s delaying the remittance?” Karim asked.

The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry last year informed its state counterpart that RM4,653,302 in tourism tax was collected from Sarawak between September 2017 and September 2018 and the federal ministry had promised to remit half of the amount back to Sarawak. – January 6, 2019.