Tiong urges hotels to adopt 23-hour stays

SIBU (Oct 20): Federal Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Dato Sri Tiong King Sing has urged hotel operators to adjust the check-in and check-out periods to ensure that guests receive at least 23 hours of stay per day.

Tiong said he had personally expressed his stance on this matter during a meeting with representatives from several hotel industry associations in Parliament on Oct 17.

He acknowledged the concerns of hotel operators about extending the stay period, particularly due to staff shortages, which in turn lengthens the cleaning and room preparation process.

“I also promised to personally liaise with the Ministry of Human Resources (Kesuma) and the Home Ministry (KDN) to help address the issue of staff shortages to meet the needs of customer stay times.

“Therefore, I assured hotel operators that I will help them negotiate with Kesuma and KDN to facilitate the hiring of foreign workers,” he said in a Facebook post yesterday.

Tiong explained that currently, the hotel industry does not enjoy priority when applying for foreign workers, and the number of source countries allowed to supply foreign workers is very limited, affecting the workforce.

“I will also discuss with relevant departments to find a solution to this issue. This includes facilitating hotel operators in directly hiring foreign workers without intermediaries.”

He noted that a 23-hour stay per day is common abroad, with guests checking in at 2pm and check out at noon the next day or by 1pm at the latest.

“This is a normal practice and does not compromise the cleanliness or quality of accommodation.”

While hotels may want to save costs and make more profits by not offering such extended stays, Tiong pointed out that this matter is not just about industry profits alone.

“Customers also want to feel that the money they spend is worth the service they receive. If not, they will have an unsatisfactory experience, reflecting that the hotel prioritises profits over service quality.”

He said customers who spend their money naturally want to do so with peace of mind and if they are happy with what they have spent, the operators will surely be delighted with multiplied profits.

“Additionally, I have instructed the National Academy of Arts, Culture, and Heritage (Aswara) under my ministry to help establish courses that provide training in hotel room cleaning and preparation, granting certificates upon completion.

“This will help improve service quality and work efficiency in hotels and enhance the professional image of Malaysian tourism,” he said.

Tiong said another issue raised by hotel operators is the lack of standard operating procedures (SOPs), including the unlimited number of guests, which has caused noise disturbances, affecting the tranquility and quality of stay.

On this, he said: “In the Cabinet meeting this morning (yesterday), I raised the issue of short-term rental homes.

“This matter will be further discussed at the Cabinet Tourism Development Committee meeting, which will be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

“My ministry will work with other ministries, such as the (Federal) Ministry of Housing and Local Government (#KPKT), to strategise and find solutions to this matter.”