Sabah, Sarawak to jointly seek deferring Tourism Tax

KUCHING: Both Sarawak and Sabah will jointly make a request to defer the implementation date of the Tourism Tax directly to the federal Minister of Finance, said Sarawak Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Hamzah.

Abdul Karim said both states had agreed on the resolutions and a memorandum of understanding would be forwarded to the federal minister for consideration.

“We wanted the date to be deferred to March 31 next year and I am very sure the implementation will be deferred,” Karim told reporters after he officiated the launch of the Rainforest Fringe here.

Karim further said the issue had more or less come to a good ending despite the spat between him and Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz early last month.

On another matter, Karim said the state government would spend about RM2mil to organise this year's World Rainforests Music Festival (WRFMF), adding the organiser had also received sponsorships from the private sector.

He said the Rainforest Fringe was something extra offered by his ministry and the state Tourism Board during the WRFMF to showcase Sarawak's rich culture and heritage. — Bernama