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PETALING JAYA: The largest representative body of the travel sector in the country warned that strict adherence to Kuala Lumpur entertainment schedules could have serious repercussions on tourism and business in the city.
Malaysian Travel and Travel Agency (Matta) said last year Kuala Lumpur attracted 12.29 million international tourists, ahead of cities like Rome, Tokyo, Istanbul, Seoul, Miami, Barcelona and Shanghai.
Nevertheless, Matta's chairman, Tan Kok Liang, told FMT that the night scene of tourists in Kuala Lumpur left "a lot to be desired".
He cautioned that reducing the hours of operation of entertainment venues would be detrimental to the visitor experience. This could encourage tourists not to return to the city, which would affect tourism revenues as well as the economy.
Minister of the Federal Territories Khalid Samad responded to Tan's recent comments that Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) would review the hours of operation of several outlets that had received special authorization from Open their doors until 5 am in order to meet the needs of tourists. Khalid said the outlets would have abused this privilege by also allowing the locals.
Khalid also said that the city's entertainment venues would be required to respect the closing hours indicated in their license agreements as of January 1, otherwise they would be prosecuted. Many of these outlets are expected to close at 1 am
The manager of Amanah said that this should be seen as a reminder to the people of Kuala Lumpur to devote more time and money to their families rather than to entertainment venues.
But Tan warned that the move could make the city less attractive to tourists, which would affect visitor arrivals.
"The total number for the whole country has dropped in the first nine months of this year," he said, adding that the situation could be further affected by the introduction of the tax of departure from the airport as of January 1st.
He added that the entertainment venues were mostly frequented by the biggest spenders, including those traveling to Kuala Lumpur for work meetings, incentive trips and conferences.
The tourism industry itself provides jobs for many of them, he added.
"Closing the entertainment scene at 1 am could create a ripple effect on our tourism industry and affect the economy of our country," he said.
Fong Kui Lun, MP for Bukit Bintang, DAP member, also expressed concern about the potential impact of such a move, especially in his constituency where he said entertainment opportunities were essential to the economy. local.
He added that the move could also hurt other businesses that welcome tourists.
"I hope the government will not have a single decision. I can understand the reasoning of limiting the hours of opening of outlets near residential areas, "he said.
But entertainment stores located in remote areas or tourism hot spots should be able to stay open longer, he added.
The Executive Director of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs, Ali Salman, said existing rules and regulations on hours of operation of entertainment venues should be respected and enforced.
He added that forms of entertainment harmful to others, such as nuisance to neighborhoods, should be checked and controlled.
But in principle, he said, people should be able to decide to spend time at home or in places of entertainment, with or without their family.
"It's not the job of the government to do the moral police or force a specific behavior."
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