MATTA President: Malaysian Tourism May Be Destroyed If Entertainment Outlets Close By 1am
It was reported that DBKL will be reviewing the operating hours of entertainment outlets in Malaysia starting January 2019.
Closing all entertainment outlets by 1am next year will have serious negative impact on the tourism industry, said Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) president
Matta president Tan Kok Liang told Free Malaysia Today (FMT) in a report today, 30 November, that the strict enforcement of operating hours for Kuala Lumpur's night scene may deter tourists from returning to the city.
Image via Thecitylist
Consequently, the decision could make KL seem less tourist-friendly and affect the economy and businesses
"The total number [of visitors] for the whole country dropped for the first nine months of this year," Tan said, adding that the new rule could have further repercussions, reported FMT.
Tan said this following news that the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) would be reviewing the operating hours of several entertainment outlets throughout the city starting January 2019
Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad said in Parliament on 29 November, that these outlets have been given special permission to open until 5am to cater to tourists, but have abused the privilege by accepting in locals as well.
Image via Firdaus Latif/Malay Mail
"We have to handle a lot of complaints from the public because there's a lot of disturbance and so on. So, what is important is all entertainment outlets given permission to carry on up to 1am will be enforced," he said, reported Malay Mail.
The MP added that people in Kuala Lumpur should be spending more time with their families instead of wasting their money at entertainment outlets
Khalid also claimed that he doubts tourists visit KL for its nightlife because other countries offer better late-night entertainment than Malaysia.
Image via Culturetarians
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