Long wait: A line of people is seen queuing to get their passports renewed before the year-end holiday season begins at the Urban Transformation Centre at Komtar in George Town,.
PETALING JAYA: Amid the brouhaha over the requirement for inbound and outbound travellers in Malaysia to complete a Customs declaration form, travel operators are calling for clearer guidelines on the initiative.
They say establishing a clear directive on who was subject to filling the form, along with which items were dutiable, would minimise confusion, especially among leisure travellers, thus creating a seamless and positive travel experience.
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president Datuk Tan Kok Liang said details on which items were dutiable should be clearly listed out to ensure travellers knew exactly what was required at Customs checkpoints.
“Not all tourists are well versed on the matter and having to fill up the form could put a damper on their travel plans and expectations.
“Similarly, certain countries still require travellers to fill up the health declaration form, and having to fill up an additional form can make it more complicated for contemporary travellers,” he said when contacted.
Apart from the ambiguity of which goods required declaration, Tan also said there were question marks on how long the list of items would be.
“Another concern would be the potential lines building up at Customs checkpoints for declaration purposes.
“Although people would eventually become used to declaring their goods, the priority is still convenience,” he said, adding that the forms should be available both electronically and physically to meet travellers’ preferences.
Tan also noted how countries such as Singapore, India and the United Kingdom have done away with such forms.
“We should emulate this and perhaps perform studies on these countries’ operations in this area as well.
“Yes, we acknowledge that there are those who abuse the system (in Malaysia) but this does not mean we should treat other well-meaning travellers in the same regard,” he said.
Melaka Tourism Association president Madelina Kuah, too, said dutiable items should be clearly stated to avoid confusion among travellers.
“The list of items should be printed in black and white. It should be a straightforward process. Anything otherwise can affect the tourism industry as a whole,” she said.
She added that a seamless travel process should be prioritised.
“We (Malaysia) are open and want to welcome tourists. We want things to be convenient and easy for tourists,” she said.
On Oct 4, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) issued a directive to the various airlines saying that the Customs Department had in a letter dated Sept 5 stated that it is a requirement for travellers arriving in or leaving Malaysia to fill up the declaration form or Form 7.
However, it is unclear if every passenger has to fill up the form or only those who carry dutiable goods or money amounting to more than US$10,000 (RM46,400).
Before this, passengers were only required to verbally declare dutiable goods or any amount above US$10,000 to the customs officers.
Separately, on Budget 2023, Tan said allocations for the tourism industry were insufficient to meet industry players’ expectations, given how badly hit the industry was over the past two years.
He called for a tiered subsidy system for local tourism industry players.
“A different mechanism is needed, especially where subsidies are given based on the different destinations offered by operators.
“For example, a 30% subsidy should be given for destinations in regional countries, 50% for medium-haul destinations such as India, South Korea and the Middle East, and 70% for long-haul destinations such as Europe,” he said.
