Thursday July 6, 2006
Ministry wants more nightlife
By NG CHENG YEE
HO CHI MINH CITY: The Tourism Ministry wants longer opening hours for shopping complexes, entertainment outlets and restaurants, believing that this will bring in more tourists.
Its minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said the ministry had received complaints from foreign visitors that there was little nightlife in Malaysia as most shops closed at 10pm.
“They have been complaining to us that places like Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi are very dull at night,” he told reporters after meeting Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Department director Nguyen Thi Lap Quoc and some travel agents here yesterday.
His ministry, he said, had informed the Federal Territories Ministry and local authorities about the situation and hoped they would extend the operating hours of these outlets.
“They are very open to our suggestions and are considering amendments to the laws to allow longer opening hours,” he said.
On whether the move would lead to problems of safety, he said: “We should look at it in a positive way, and it is a matter of enforcement.”
However, he stressed that longer opening hours should be limited to outlets located away from housing estates.
Tengku Adnan said his ministry would also talk to the Finance Ministry about the taxes on wine and beer.
“Currently, a lot of tourists are complaining that the prices of wine and beer sold in Malaysia are too high. In fact, the prices of such products are the highest compared with other countries like Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam,” he said.
He added that his ministry was drafting a paper to the Finance Ministry on the subject.
“The paper is almost ready and it will be submitted to the ministry before the next budget, and we will let the Government decide on the reduction of such taxes,” he said.
Tengku Adnan said he had also directed state governments to refurbish places of interest in preparation for the Visit Malaysia Year 2007 campaign.
He said the work, including painting and repairing of infrastructure at tourist spots, should be done immediately to avoid situations that could damage the country’s image.
“The directive is given out as the ministry has received a lot of negative reports from tourists that the infrastructure at these destinations is not as good as those promoted in tourism brochures,” he said.
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