KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan advised his Cabinet colleagues today to be more conciliatory when handling dissent from east Malaysia, amid a row between a federal and Sarawak minister over a new tourism tax.
The minister in the Prime Minister’s Department acknowledged that there was resistance from Sarawak over the matter, but said handling this with civility would do better in mollifying such concerns.
The Kota Belud MP did not specifically name anyone in his tweets, but Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz yesterday criticised Sarawak counterpart Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah over the latter’s comments on the tax.
"Federal ministers can certainly be more accommodative when dealing with genuine questions & concerns from Sabah & Sarawak leaders,” said the minister in charge of the Economic Planning Unit (EPU).
“The tourism tax can be justified and explained. But the subsequent spat between Sbh&Swk leaders and MOTAC is making the effort harder," he said using the acronym to refer to Nazri's ministry.
He also defended Abdul Karim’s track record as a lawmaker, saying the latter has years of experience even though he was only recently appointed as a state minister.
Abdul Karim previously urged Putrajaya to defer the July 1 implementation of the new tax for Sabah and Sarawak, saying the federal government should respect the Malaysia Agreement 1963 when deciding such matters.
This led to a rebuke from Nazri, who yesterday told his Sarawak counterpart not to be confrontational over the matter.
Nazri also said the tax would benefit Sarawak more than it would affect tourism in the state, noting that luxury hotels that would attract the highest tax rate were a rarity in the state.
Sarawak today announced its withdrawal from the Malaysian Tourism Board with immediate effect, saying the state’s own tourism board was performing similar functions.
