UNLICENSED tourist guides and fly-by-night tour operators have been labelled as “ghosts” in Sarawak’s tour and travel industry over the manner they operate, which is causing concern to the tourism sector.

“We have been informed about them, but we don’t know who they are,” former Sarawak Tourist Guides Association (STGA) chairman Abang Azahari Abang Zaidan said.

The presence of these unlicensed guides was first reported in 2000 but till today, the association does not know how many there are, Abang Azahari and his successor, Edwin Lim, told The Malaysian Insight.

“No idea on this point,” Lim said.

“Because they are not registered,” Abang Azahari chipped in.

Abang Azahari said all he knows is that the illegal guides and operators work in small groups and do most of their transactions online. There have been reports that these people also hang around in hotel lobbies hoping to snare the unsuspecting tourists.

Abang Azahari said while the unlicensed guides are found mostly in Kuching, the unlicensed operators – guides who sell tour packages – are largely in Miri.

He said one “popular” package these unlicensed tour operators sell is the Mulu programme.

“Their modus operandi is simple. They offer service to places of interest, collect the payments and disappear,” he said.

Abang Azahari said the association is helpless as it cannot act on the reports it received.

“We cannot do anything because we don’t have the power to deal with it,” he said.

“We are not the licensing authority. The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac) is.

“Motac, which runs the tour guides’ courses and issues the licences, is the authority that can act against these unlicensed guides and operators.”

He said not even the state Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts has the power to deal with them.

To illustrate the haplessness of the industry, Abang Azahari said during his tenure as STGA chairman, he has not seen any action taken against a single unlicensed guide or operator.

“None has been taken to court,” he said.

Abang Azahari said he is uncertain if the cost to attend the Motac guides’ course, which is about RM6,800, is a factor for the presence of the unlicensed guides.

“But what is certain is that they want to be known as tourist guides but don’t want to be registered. They just don’t want to be evaluated,” he said.

“Frankly, it is hard to determine who the unlicensed persons are. We have no way of tackling this problem,” Lim said.

Currently, there are 200 licensed guides on STGA’s books.

Tourists wary

However, Lim and Abang Azahari have differing opinions on the problems these illegal guides and operators pose to the industry.

Abang Azahari said they could become a big problem if they are not stopped now while Lim said the matter is “very subjective”.

“Depends on who looks at it,” Lim said, adding that as the industry quibble over the unlicensed guides, many tourists, particularly foreign ones, are wary.

He said STGA has over the years encouraged people who are interested in becoming tour guides to take up the course.

He said a registered guide would enjoy many benefits, including insurance protection against accidents at work, continuous upskilling and the STGA’s benevolent benefits.

The unregistered ones, he said, would be vulnerable in the event of accidents.

Lim said STGA’s only recourse to the problem is to appeal to those who have an interest in the profession to take up the course.

“Tour guiding is not a simple job. It is a professional career. It’s not as simple as what people think, by just bringing people from point A to point B,” he said.

“There are a lot of other aspects. It involves continuous training, learning, interaction, good personal character building and psychological enhancement.”

Lim said guiding is not an academic subject but a skill practice.

“Simply put, it is not how much you know but how well you perform,” he added. – March 30, 2023.