Why hard to tackle illegal tour guides

Kota Kinabalu: Online transactions and business operations without offices are making it tough for the Tourism and Culture Ministry (Motac) to nab illegal tour operators, white van operations and illegal tourist guides in Sabah. Motac Sabah Director Ag Ahmad Zaki Abu Bakar (pic) said this is why the Ministry has strategised a campaign to put a stop to these illegal operations for good – through the eradication of the "white van" operations.

"If we catch them they can say they are there for escort not guiding.

"This is not as simple as putting buntings/posters and pamphlets in the airports or even all across Sabah to raise awareness," said Ag Ahmad, adding that there was no way for tourists to know whether they had hired a legit operator at present.

He said to do this Motac first needs to establish a case against them like whether they had the proper papers such as Road Transport Department documents.

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He said they also need to be caught red handed along with the tourists onboard or during pick-up, adding that it is much more effective and easier to compound the culprits although it may not solve the problem in its entirety.

Ag Ahmad said this following recent complaints over the "white van" and illegal tour guides menace raised by the Sabah Tourist Guides Association, which also demanded from the ministry to give them some degree of "power" to nab "on the spot" illegal operators.

Towards this end, he said it would be impossible for the Ministry to empower the non-governmental organisation as existing enforcement agencies are adequate to uphold the law.

Instead, Ag Ahmad suggested STGA would help the ministry more if they keep checking its members to see whether they are involved in such operations.

If so, STGA could use the same approach as Motac like cancelling their membership and report them to Motac so their licence can be revoked, he added.

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"This is the jurisdiction of the association and it makes more sense rather than asking from the government to empower them to nab illegal tour operators or even illegal tour guides.

"I believe the association must be strict because this will generate results, and better than trying to identify illegal guides and 'white vans'," said Ag Ahmad.

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