MACAU: Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Pang Yuk Ming hoped that the relevant authority in Macau could assist in restoring direct flights between Sabah and Macau.
Pang said there used to be direct flights servicing the Macau-Kota Kinabalu route several years ago.
“Although both Macau and Kota Kinabalu are tourism destinations, they differ in nature,” he said at the Belt and Road Initiative of Tourism Development Conference organized by the Macau Malaysian Chamber of Commerce for the Malaysia China Chamber of Commerce (MCCC) Sabah branch here. .
“Macau offers entertainment and cosmopolitan modernity, whereas Sabah offers nature.
“I believe by working together, we can offer attractive tourism packages that boost the tourism and economic developments of Sabah and Macau.”
Hence, Pang hoped that the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) could consider helping restore direct flights to Kota Kinabalu.
Meanwhile, MGTO director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes responded positively to Pang’s suggestion, adding that her office would act on the request at the governmental level.
She also encouraged the private sector, including chambers of commerce to voice their suggestion and desire to restore Kota Kinabalu-Macau direct flights to airline companies.
The conference also saw the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) in establishing cooperative ties between Sabah Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Satta) and Macau Malaysian Chamber of Commerce, as well as a memorandum in strategic partnership between MCCC Sabah branch and Macau Malaysian Chamber of Commerce.
Meanwhile, MCCC Sabah branch president Datuk Frankie Liew said Macau and Sabah had the potential to develop a mutually beneficial relationship.
He said Sabah could utilize Macau as a stepping stone to penetrate into China, while Macau could also enter the Southeast Asian countries through Sabah.
“We fervently hope that the resources and criteria in both places would complement each other and subsequently create a win-win situation,” he said, adding that the geographical location of Macau and Sabah should be leveraged as a platform to enter China and Asean countries.
Also present were Consul-General of Malaysia in Hong Kong and Macau, Tengku Dato’ Sirajuzzaman bin YM Tengku Mohamed Ariffin, Satta president Datuk Seri Winston Liaw, Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association (MCTA) Sabah branch president Lawrence Wong and MCCC Sabah branch vice president Foo Ngee Kee.