Loopholes hamper crack down on China tourists’ activities

KOTA KINABALU (Nov 18): The State Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry (KePKAS) does not take kindly to China tourists coming into Sabah and “stealing” away job opportunities from locals.

However, it is understood that apparent loopholes such as trading licence sharing hampers the ministry’s efforts to crack down on their activities, since these operators possess proper licences when authorities come to check.

Its minister, Datuk Christina Liew, said she is aware and fully understands the problem that the local Chinese businessmen face in this regard, with many restaurants and even souvenir shops here occupied by China operators.

“Seriously speaking, the ministry does not agree on that. We want to do something about it, but every time we go and check, they managed to produce their operating licences, so this goes back to the local authorities also.

“And when it comes to restaurants, then supply and demand comes into play. Each time we go to China operated restaurants, they are always full of customers, but when we go to locally operated ones, they are not so full.

“So if local businessmen want to open such restaurants and they have the proper licences from the local authorities, then I don’t think so as a ministry we will stop them from operating,” she told the State Assembly question-and-answer session here on Monday.

Liew was responding to an additional question by Senallang assemblyman Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, who had inquired on the State Government’s actions to address China tourists coming into Sabah and taking away benefits that are rightfully the locals’.

Shafie had alleged that not only have these people opened up restaurants here, but they also became master divers without proper licences, with a possible explanation being sharing licences to circumvent the relevant laws and regulations in place.

He said his worries did not stop there, as he is concerned that they are also using these trading licences to purchase land in Semporna and set up their own outfits there, not only taking away job opportunities from the locals, but also their land.

Addressing his first concern, Liew acknowledged that illegal tour operators have become an issue due to a few untoward incidents in Sabah that involved unlicenced tour guides.

The minister stressed that her ministry has been constantly warning tour and travel associations to not take in workers with no proper paperwork as it risks the lives of the tourists.

She said that licencing is an issue that requires further discussions between KePKAS and its federal counterpart, especially since their repeated warnings seem unfruitful.

“This is not the stand of the ministry to give permission to those who have no proper licence to work as a master diver in Semporna’s diving sector.

“They come in as tourists, they leave as tourists – not try to illegally find employment without the proper papers and attract those looking for a cheaper rate.

“This is not our principle. We don’t allow this to happen. If you come to Sabah as a tourist and have any intention to work, you go through the proper channels.

“Do not try to act as if you are a licenced tour guide when you are not,” she said.

Liew said as part of their short-term efforts to tackle these problems, two new sections have been created within her ministry to allow tourists in trouble to call their carelines to seek help, and they are also working very closely with the authorities in Semporna’s tourism sector in this regard.

Meanwhile, she said Sabah this year has more than tripled its tourist arrivals when compared to 24 years ago.

She said in 2000, the state had recorded 774,475 visitors, comprising 365,537 domestic and 408,938 international, initially offering 173 weekly flights to seven domestic destinations before nine international destinations were introduced near year end.

Ten years later in 2010, tourist arrivals spiked to 2,504,669, comprising 1,708,716 domestic and 795,953 international, an average increase of 22.3 percent.

The trend continued to 2019, which is when the state recorded its highest tourist arrivals with 4,195,093, comprising 2,726,428 domestic and 1,469,475 international.

“In 2019, Sabah had recorded more than five times increase in tourist arrivals when compared to 2000. This same year, the state was connected to 21 international destinations with 223 weekly flights and 37,826 passenger capacity.

“However, after the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the state’s tourism sector was greatly affected when tourist arrivals fell to only 977,460, before it fell even lower to 371,187 in 2021, which is almost the same figure recorded in 1997.

“The tourism sector then gradually recovered with the re-opening of international borders in April 2022. In 2023, Sabah received 2,613,272 visitors, which is an increase of 51 percent,” she said to Silam assemblyman Dumi Masdal, who had inquired the number of visitors to Sabah from 2000 to 2023.