KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin has urged Putrajaya not to wait until 2026 to rejuvenate the local tourism sector. Instead, he suggests that the government capitalizes on the recovery trend in tourism sectors globally and takes advantage of the weak ringgit to revive the industry. “Therefore, Perikatan Nasional proposes for expenditures pertaining to Visit Malaysia Year (2026) to be expedited to promote and strengthen existing infrastructure and facilities,” he said during the Budget 2024 debate in Parliament on Monday (Oct 16).
Hamzah believes that taking immediate steps to promote the tourism sector will indirectly strengthen the value of the ringgit against the US dollar. He also emphasizes the need to focus on high-value tourism in addition to increasing tourist arrivals, citing luxury cruise holidays in Langkawi, nature tourism in Danum Valley (Sabah), and the Niah Caves National Park (Sarawak) as examples. He suggests that Malaysia should improve visa processes to capitalize on these opportunities and propel the tourism sector forward.
During the presentation of Budget 2024 on Friday (Oct 13), Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that the next Visit Malaysia Year would be held in 2026. The government aims to attract 26.1 million foreign tourists in that year, with expected domestic spending of RM97.6 million.
Hamzah has also criticized Budget 2024, pointing out that only RM90 billion out of the total RM393.8 billion is allocated for development expenditure. He believes that this allocation, which is only 23% and similar to the previous year’s development expenditure, does not prioritize assisting Malaysians and stimulating economic growth. He suggests that the government should focus on debt management and creating a good mood among the people to improve the domestic market and stimulate the economy.
Policy stage debates on Budget 2024 are scheduled to take place from October 16 to 26, followed by ministerial replies from October 30 to November 2. Committee stage debates will begin on November 6 and continue until November 27. The ongoing Parliament session will conclude on November 30.
