PUTRAJAYA: The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry has revoked its support letter and blacklisted Srikandi Wawasan Enterprise for three years after the company seriously breached the conditions of the Temasya Kesenian dan Kebudayaan Asia Tenggara programme.
The support letter had been issued to allow programme sponsors to qualify for tax deductions under paragraph 34(6)(k) of the Income Tax Act as an incentive to support arts, culture or heritage initiatives.
In a statement today, the ministry said the decision followed a detailed investigation into the widely reported incident on Oct 24, which involved 61 Malaysian school students being stranded for three hours at Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia, under the management of the company.
The investigation found that the organiser changed the original purpose of the programme, as stated in the support letter, from a cultural performance to a tourism visit without informing the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry.
"They also failed to provide accommodation, transport, meals and a clear itinerary, leaving participants stranded without proper assistance, forcing the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta to intervene," it said.
The ministry added that the company’s actions demonstrated serious negligence and violated standard safety operating procedures and programme management guidelines for overseas activities.
It further added that the organiser issued misleading claims, stating that the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry dancers were involved in the programme when they were actually freelance performers.
This created misconceptions among participants and sponsors and contravened the principles of integrity, transparency and trust in public administration.
"Media coverage in Malaysia and Indonesia indirectly associated the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry with the programme.
"The organiser’s failure to safeguard the ministry’s reputation has damaged the ministry’s credibility as a professional and responsible government institution," it emphasised.
While the ministry welcomes collaboration with companies and non-governmental organisations to promote the nation’s arts, culture and heritage, the revocation of the support letter and blacklisting of the company and its owners was taken to uphold integrity, transparency and accountability.
"As such, as of this statement (Dec 9), no party is allowed to use or refer to the support letter for any purpose. the ministry will not be responsible for any consequences arising from the use of the invalid document," it said.
The ministry also reaffirmed its commitment to monitor and take strict action against any party that violates guidelines, conditions or procedures.
Members of the public are encouraged to verify with the ministry regarding similar programmes or events to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.
Media reports on Oct 24 noted that 61 students were stranded for more than three hours at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport due to mismanagement by the travel agent. - Bernama
