|
| Tuesday, April 04, 2006 |
| Concern over vehicle entry fee proposal |
TheStar
JOHOR BARU: Many in Johor and Kedah have expressed reservations about the proposed vehicle entry fee, saying the number of incoming Singaporeans and Thais would drop and hurt tourism and businesses.
Johor Tourism Guides Association chairman Jimmy Leong said airlines packages now offered Singaporeans an option to fly anywhere else.
“I hope the Government looks into the proposal carefully and listens to Johoreans before implementing it,” he said, adding that stories about the high crime rate was already hurting tourism in Johor.
Johor Tourism and Environment Committee chairman Freddie Long said 33,000 vehicles entered the country from Singapore daily, of which 23,000 were Singapore registered vehicles.
Singaporean Desmond Chow, 46, said that if the proposal was implemented, he would enter Malaysia less frequently.
“I always come in for business, so the entry fee will definitely affect me. I will have to come in less often,” said the businessman.
In Padang Besar, Sumphawan Suthong, 45, who has run an import and export business here for 21 years, said Thais would not go to Padang Besar to do business or shop if an entry fee was introduced.
Padang Besar MCA division deputy chairman Phung Kuek Khee said if the Government wanted to offset some of the petrol subsidy, “it could ensure that vehicles entering from Thailand have their fuel tanks at least 75% full.”
In Kedah, Northern Region Lorry Transport Operators Association president Yusoff Ismail said Thai-registered vehicles owned by Malaysians should be exempted from paying the entry fee.
A Kedah Customs Department spokesman said an average of 1,000 vehicles, including motorcycles, cars, taxis and buses, travelled daily from Thailand through the Bukit Kayu Hitam border entrance.
In Kuala Terengganu, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said he did not expect the move to affect the influx of tourists from Singapore and Thailand.
He said Singapore charged S$30 (RM66.72) for the entry of Malaysian cars into the republic per day.
“Here, we are only talking of about RM20 per entry,” he said, adding that tourists would love to drive in Malaysia since it was a pleasurable experience. |
posted by Nobody @ 9:35 PM  |
|
|
|
|
| About Me |
Name: Nobody
Home: Vietnam
About Me: Not important.
|
| Previous Post |
|
| Archives |
|
| Links |
|
|
|
