THE Sarawak government has withdrawn from the Malaysian Tourism Board as the row over the new tourism tax escalates.

“The state government deems that the participation of its representatives in Tourism Malaysia is not necessary as this is duplication of the role and functions of the Sarawak Tourism Promotion Board,” it said in a statement today.

The statement, issued from the chief minister’s office at noon, did not give a reason for the withdrawal.

Meanwhile, Sarawak leaders today condemned comments made by Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz yesterday.

At a function yesterday, Nazri had called his counterpart in Sarawak, Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, a “setahun jagung” (political greenhorn) and said the latter should not act like a “samseng” (gangster).

“Calling a Sarawakian minister a greenhorn is childish and an insult to Karim, who has been entrusted by the state’s leadership to head its tourism ministry,” said Sarawak Barisan Nasional Youth chief Fadillah Yusof in a statement today. 

“The labelling others as ‘samseng’ is unacceptable as it is not only an insult to the individual but will also tarnish the party’s image,” said Fadillah, who is also works minister.

Yesterday, Nazri had chided Karim for opposing the tax. 

“Karim is just a new minister, he shouldn’t show off. If he doesn’t understand anything, he should meet me,” Nazri told reporters in Kuala Lumpur. 

On Friday, Karim had said the state government was not consulted on the tourism tax and called for its deferment.

Sarawak PKR vice-chairman See Chee How also criticised Nazri’s comments. 

“Karim was right based on the Federal Constitution and the Malaysia Agreement,” the Batu Lintang assemblyman was quoted as saying in The Borneo Post today. 

“Nazri is the one who is ignorant and he is downright arrogant as well,” See said. 

Under the new tax, which takes effect on July 1, all forms of hotel accommodation nationwide will charge between RM2.50 and RM20 daily.

Nazri, who tabled the bill in April, said the government stands to collect RM654.62 million from the tax.

Malaysia received 26.8 million tourists in 2016, according to the Tourism Ministry. Of that figure, Sarawak received 2.26 million foreign visitors and an additional 2.4 million visitors from the peninsula and Sabah, according to the Sarawak Immigration Department.

Pro-autonomy advocacy group Sarawak For Sarawakians (S4S) also joined the criticism against Nazri.

Peter John Jaban, a spokesman for the group said Karim was “simply expressing” his opinions in defending the “enshrined rights” of Sarawak. 

“As a senior minister, arrogant Nazri shouldn’t have acted in such a way that would risk further animosity between Sarawak and Malaya. Instead, he should have set a better example as a senior minister to his juniors,” he said in a statement today.   

“Sarawakians are feeling more victimised. This is one of the reasons Sarawak is no longer keen to be part of the federation,” he said. 

S4S central zone spokesman Bill Jugah said in a statement today that the two ministers should have “ironed out the creases” before announcing a major change in taxation affecting Sarawak. 

He said lodging houses and hotels come under the purview of Sarawak & Sabah Local Government Ordinance 1961 Section 49(46)(i) and that the new tax would “effectively rob” private businesses. – June 12, 2017.