HOTEL owners in Sabah have been told keep any concerns they may have on the impending tourism tax to themselves until they meet Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry officials on June 13.

A meeting, chaired by permanent secretary Datu Rusmadi Sulai, will be held at the ministry to address the hotel owners’ concerns.

Sabah Hotel Association president Christopher Chan clarified that the meeting will not be with officials of the federal Culture and Tourism Ministry as previously reported. In the meantime, the association members should not “speculate”.

“We were told not to say anything until after the meeting,” said Chan.

Sabah Chapters of Malaysian Association of Hotels, Budget Hotels Association, Sabah Backpackers Association and Sabah Tourists Association have also advised their members to refrain from making comments on the Tourism Tax.

Culture and Tourism Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz yesterday confirmed that the tourism tax will come into force on July 1 and not August 1, even though the tourism tax bill is not yet gazetted.  

Matta vice-president KL Tan was dismayed at the haste in which the tax is being introduced.

“(We have only) 21 days to set up a hotel system and advise travellers,” he said.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Masidi Manjun said his ministry would be presenting a paper on the tourism tax to the federal government next Wednesday.

He said more information was needed on the mechanisms of the tax and its implications to the tourism industry of Sabah.

“First, we need to determine whether we can opt out of the tourism tax.  It would be unfair for me to make a statement now without first briefing the cabinet.”

He said he was optimistic a dialogue with the federal government would yield favourable results.

On September 9 last year, Sabah rejected the federal government’s proposal for a hospitality levy. Masidi had said that any form of levy would hurt Sabah’s booming tourism industry.

Sabah collected RM7.5 billion in tourism receipts last year. – June 9, 2017.