KUALA LUMPUR – Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has hit back at Datuk Christina Liew for her absence when meetings on Sabah’s Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme were held.
Tiong alleged that Liew, who is Sabah’s tourism, culture and environment minister, rarely attended ministerial meetings at the federal level or sent a representative, after she lambasted Tiong for cancelling the MM2H programme in her state.
“Despite several invitations, (Liew) has deemed it unworthy of her (time) to turn up for meetings to discuss the MM2H matters for Sabah.
“Not only did (she) not attend these meetings, she did not even delegate a single representative to the table to understand the situation. This is disappointing, to say the least,” he said in a Facebook post, accompanied by a bemused emoji.
Following her absence in meetings meant to understand details of agent registration, he said Liew also failed to take necessary steps to “fully grasp” the programme’s policy.
He also questioned if Liew was “in her own world and oblivious to crucial matters”, following apparent unresolved issues relating to tourism in the state despite repeated orders to address them.
“This is not nitpicking or assigning blame on anyone, but when it comes to matters of tourism, policies must be adhered to before criticism is made,” he said.
“This is not a simple matter, it relates to national safety and reputation. If basic tasks are not handled well, how can we attract foreign visitors to boost the tourism industry?”
It was reported that Tiong’s ministry decided to stop MM2H agents from operating – a matter which appears to not have been announced in public.
Subsequently, Liew said the decision caused “abrupt disruption” to the state’s plans to hold a Sabah MM2H launch on June 1. She also revealed to the media that the circular from the federal ministry on May 27 had ordered all licensed MM2H agents to cease their operations.
Meanwhile, Tiong said although renewing MM2H visas was unrelated to the programme’s agent permits, the ministry wanted more transparency among agents by only collecting application fees after approvals.
He said existing agents of MM2H were required to re-register to address issues where agents sublease their permits and “disappear” with agency fees.
Besides Liew, Sarawak’s Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah also said both Bornean states have autonomy over their immigration and tourism matters, and the federal ministry should have consulted the states before making its announcement.
In April, Tiong was reported saying that all MM2H agents would be vetted and regulated as the ministry was now the main promoter and marketer of the programme.
He also said programme applicants were being charged hefty fees by agents, and he encouraged them to use the ministry’s one-stop centre for MM2H matters. – June 9, 2024