Kota Kinabalu: Sabah’s tourism industry players urged the authorities to take action not only against illegal tour operators but also their clients. Sabah Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Satta) Chairman Dato’ Seri Winston Liaw said targeting both the sellers and buyers would be a more effective deterrent.
“I think the issue keeps recurring despite media coverage and the increase in penalties to RM500,000 in fines and 10 years’ imprisonment. Illegal operators are still active,” he said.
One of the reasons, he added, is the lack of enforcement manpower within the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac). Liaw proposed that Motac make a public declaration that travellers found joining illegal tours could face a RM10,000 fine and a seven-day detention to assist investigations.
“This move will strongly discourage illegal tour activities, as the ‘no buyers, no hunting’ principle would apply automatically,” he said.
Advertisement
