By: Rosli Mansor Ahmad Razali
IPOH – Perak’s tourism industry players feel neglected due to the aloof attitude of YB Loh Sze Yee, the Perak State Tourism Exco.
Their grievances have also become a catalyst for Zamari Muhyi, the Chairman of the Perak Bumiputra Tourism Entrepreneurs Association (PBTEA), to serve as a conduit for conveying their heartfelt complaints to the concerned Exco.
“As representatives of 12 NGOs within the tourism industry, we feel that our efforts to advance the state’s tourism sector are not valued due to YB Loh Sze Yee’s cold demeanour towards us.
“The freezing of the RM10,000 incentive we receive annually has crippled our ability to carry out promotional activities for tourism products, especially during Visit Perak 2024.
“The incentive may not be of significant monetary value, but it symbolizes the spirit of cooperation and appreciation for our continuous efforts in promoting tourism products.
“If something as minor as this is not addressed, it seems as if we are being sidelined, and our contributions are not appreciated,” he expressed during a recent interview.
According to Zamari, YB Loh Sze Yee’s statement on social media, claiming to have conducted field visits to tourism products across the entire Perak region, is entirely untrue.
“He has issued a statement that is false and is seen as an attempt to cover up his negligence and lack of involvement.
“If I were to ask him about the latest tourism products in the Mualim and Batang Padang areas, he would undoubtedly be unable to answer as he has never visited the products we have been promoting.
“Recently, upon the initiative of PPPBP and Mybah Negeri Perak, we visited Tourism Malaysia Jakarta and the Jakarta Embassy to promote tourism products, especially Visit Perak 2024.
“We funded this trip from our own budget. If there were an RM10,000 incentive from the state government, we would have used it for its intended purpose, not for personal gain.
“We hope that the cooperation between the Tourism Exco and industry players, through government-recognized associations, can continue to progress for the advancement of our state’s tourism industry,” he added.
