Alleged corruption: Malaysian Tourist Guides Council applauds Tiong's action

JOHOR BARU: The Malaysian Tourist Guides Council has applauded Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing for stepping in to assist the Chinese national who was detained on arrival at KL International Airport (KLIA) recently.

The council’s president Jimmy Leong Wie Kong supported the minister’s actions, saying it was crucial for the man appointed to spearhead the tourism industry to highlight and call for investigation on various unscrupulous activities that were ongoing at the country’s entry points.

"In doing so, the minister had indeed hit the nail on the right spot and this might help to get rid of the common comments that tourist guides commonly get from tourists when we receive them.

"We often hear that going through our Immigration entry points, especially at KLIA, was likened to 'going through hell'," he said in a statement.

Leong added that the role of travel and tourism was recognised globally, including Malaysia, as a vehicle for job creation, economic growth and development.

"We live in a world where travellers today demand greater value for products and services including those provided by frontliners such as the immigration officials stationed at entry points.

"The council hopes that the recent episode will lead the current government to a holistic review of the services provided by the Immigration Department in order to provide reassurance and transparent information to travellers.

"There is certainly a need for the immigration officers to understand and recognise the importance of facilitating a seamless clearance process but not compromising the sovereign right of our country at the same time," he said.

Leong added that this would also support the widespread call by the public and private sectors for a seamless clearance process as the recent incident had painted an overall perception of the country’s lack of openness.

Tiong reportedly said he had to personally step in to help an employee of a China-based media company after she was allegedly held up by immigration officers at KLIA on arrival from Shenzhen on June 29.

The woman had alleged that although her travel documents were in order, she was denied entry by the officers.

She claimed that she was asked to pay several thousand ringgit if she wanted to be allowed entry.

The woman had arrived in Malaysia with her superior, a senior official of a Chinese government-owned TV station.

It is learnt that while her superior was cleared and allowed entry by the Immigration Department, the woman, who was the senior official’s personal assistant, was denied entry and allegedly told there were discrepancies in her travel documents.

Tiong told The Star that he went to KLIA with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the matter after the station official called up the Consulate General of Malaysia in Guangzhou and sought help upon seeing her colleague in distress.