Budget hotel operators must comply with government regulations: Nazri

GEORGE TOWN: Budget hotels and guest house operators have been told to comply with requirements from the local authorities to ensure their guests are kept safe and secure.
Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz said tourism industry efforts need to comply with the regulations set by the government.
“My advice is, please, you have to comply with the local regulations,” he told a press conference after opening the World Tourism Conference 2016 here today.
Also present was United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) secretary-general Taleb Rifai and Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
A total of 733 delegates from several countries are attending the three-day conference to discuss the future of tourism.
Taleb said the UN was supportive of the local tourism industry's efforts but stressed such efforts needed to contribute to society.
Noting that businesses had to be treated as such, he said rules and regulations existed to ensure there must be minimum standards in hygiene and security. “We cannot escape some level of regulation,” he added.
At a rally later, some 20 guest house operators urged the state government to resolve their plight of getting their operations licensed.
Spokesman Jack Ong said the temporary licenses, of many holders, would be expiring by the end of the month and that the cost of getting a full license was highly prohibitive.
He estimated he would have to pay some RM200,000 to get the necessary documentation, including a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) and architect fees, to be able to get a license.
He said guest houses were not looking for a free pass from the state but only wanted such fees to be reduced so they could comply.
“We want to pay, we are not asking for it to be free, we are trying to make a living for our family,” he said.