KUALA LUMPUR: The Tourism, Arts, and Culture Ministry (Motac) has denied sidelining Perlis and not providing the state with special allocations for the Visit Perlis Year 2024-2025 campaign (TMP).
Its minister, Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said the allocation of more than RM3.5 million in 2023 for Perlis' tourism is evidence of Motac's fairness towards the state, with no actions of marginalisation adding that he is open to discussing allocations.
Tiong said that simply writing letters to Motac does not mean the ministry owes anything to the state and that the Perlis Menteri Besar, Mohd Shukri Ramli, should coordinate and communicate with other agencies as a leader.
Tiong also questioned why the issue of special allocations was brought up, as Perlis state representatives who attended the National Committee for the Development of Tourism and Culture meeting on Nov 14 did not raise the issue.
"If Perlis is genuinely marginalised, why is the state allocated funds? Motac's commitment to promoting the country's tourism is firm, so there is no need to make misleading statements.
"As harsh as it sounds, it is emphasised that just by writing a letter does not mean that the ministry owes you anything. For example, I also visited states such as Penang and Johor that are not organising TMPs several times to discuss cooperation that could be held.
"Therefore, the Menteri Besar of Perlis should understand that as a leader, coordination and communication with other agencies are important. As menteri besar, he should be able to find a solution, not just wait for a reply through a letter. If that is the way, then his ability to administer the state as Menteri Besar should be questioned," he said in a statement today.
He was responding to Mohd Shukri's disappointment over what he claimed as non-response from Motac regarding allocations requested to upgrade tourist locations, especially for TMP.
Mohd Shukri claimed that Tiong also did not provide any response to the state government's request for a meeting to discuss the matter.
According to Mohd Shukri, the state government requested an allocation of RM4 million to upgrade eight tourist locations in Perlis for TMPs.
"I would like to remind the Menteri Besar of Perlis once again that careful consideration precedes the allocation of funds, and it is not about how much is requested but how much is deemed effective.
"I am open to discussing funding if it really helps attract more foreign tourists to Malaysia," Tiong said.
Tiong added that Motac is always committed to working with any state government to promote tourism in their respective states.
He called on Mohd Shukri to take the Melaka and Perak state governments, for example, who have been actively involving Motac in state events and arranging meetings to share their needs, displaying sincere efforts in promoting tourism, art, and culture.