KOTA BARU: A meeting between the Kelantan government and Transport Minister Anthony Loke on regulations concerning Thai tour buses, will be held next month.
State Tourism, Culture, Arts, and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Kamarudin Md Nor said that he was informed of the meeting this morning.
"I have received a call from the Transport Ministry that the minister has agreed to meet me on April 4.
"Several issues will be discussed during the meeting which includes the tour bus permit and other matters that are related with our tour bus operators," he added.
Kamarudin said this at the breaking of fast with media practitioners organised by the state government here tonight.
Also present were Menteri Besar Datuk Nassuruddin Daud, state Islamic Development, Dakwah, Information and Regional Relations committee chairman Mohd Asri Mat Daud and State Local Government, Housing, Health, and Environment Hilmi Abdullah.
On another note, Kamarudin said the state government had carried out various promotions to attract tourists including those from Thailand, to visit the state in conjunction with Visit Kelantan Year (VKY) 2024.
"It is not true that we did not bring Thai tourists to Kelantan; rather, we have invited them on a regular basis.
"The most recent was when we brought Thai influencers to Kelantan to aid us with the (VKY) campaign," he added.
It was reported that tour buses and vans from Thailand have been prohibited from bringing tourists into Kelantan via the state's three entry points.
Kelantan Road Transport Department director Mohd Misuari Abdullah clarified that only Malaysian tourist operators were permitted to operate within the country, and vehicles from other countries, even those with International Circulation Permits (ICP), were not permitted to transport tourists into Malaysia.
Misuari explained that these regulations came into effect on June 1, 2022, following the end of the Covid-19 Movement Control Order (MCO).