Discussions planned on Malaysia My Second Home power delegation to Sarawak, Sabah

Abdul Karim (second right) and others welcoming Wan Junaidi (right) to Borneo Cultures Museum on June 15, 2024.

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, June 15: Discussions will be held on the extent of authority to be delegated by the federal government in the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme to Sarawak and Sabah.

Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts (MTCP) Sarawak Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah stressed the importance of consulting Sarawak and Sabah on this matter.

His comments follow a clarification by Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Dato Sri Tiong King Sing who attributed the suspension of licensed agents’ operations handling MM2H applications to the absence of Sabah’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Christina Liew from federal meetings.

Tiong also informed the Federal Cabinet of the intention to delegate authority over the MM2H program to Sabah and Sarawak.

Abdul Karim expressed uncertainty about the extent of this devolution of power, particularly concerning the issuance of licenses for tourist guides and agents involved in the Sarawak-Malaysia My Second Home (SMM2H) programme.

“How significant will this delegation of power be? This is something we need to discuss,” he told reporters after welcoming the official visit of Sarawak Governor Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and wife Toh Puan Fauziah Mohd Sanusi to the Borneo Cultures Museum today.

Abdul Karim asserted that Sarawak and Sabah must be consulted on matters such as amending the constitution, especially concerning the rights of both regions.

He noted that during the formation of Malaysia in 1963, tourism matters were not even discussed, and the importance of tourism was not recognised.

Consequently, he explained, tourism was not categorised under the Federal List, State List, or Concurrent List, but rather placed under the Residual List.

“If it is in the Residual List, automatically it becomes a State matter. However, in 1992 or 1994, the federal government discreetly introduced a bill to transfer tourism to the Federal List without consulting the States,” he added.

He viewed this discreet move as an act of “usurping power” by the Federal government because it was done without consulting the affected State.

“To me, tourism should be a shared concern between Federal and State governments due to its significance as a new and big industry,” he added. — DayakDaily