Ahmad Zaki (middle) speaking to the suspect (right) during the raid.
KOTA KINABALU: The state Ministry of Tourism and Culture (MOTAC) office busted an illegal tour company operating in a service apartment here.
State MOTAC director Ag Ahmad Zaki Abu Bakar said the CEO of the company operator was a Korean national who was working here as a translator.
The Korean man in his 30s is also a dive instructor, said Ahmad Zaki who led the raid on the office.
“We also found evidence that local licensed tour operators are working with the Korean’s company by accepting its business as well as offering their tour buses and services to tourists and this is against the law,” he said.
These local companies once found guilty of working with an unlicensed tour operator can have their licenses and tour bus permits revoked, he added.
The raid on the company at 10am yesterday was conducted with the support of the police, Immigration Department and City Hall.
Laptops, hard disc, documents and contract agreement, invoices and tourists’ contacts with these licensed tour operators were also seized from the operation, he disclosed.
“The Korean man who is also a diveinstructor and his local staff were found operating an office serving as a tour operator illegally selling tour packages such as land and island tour with accommodation,” said Ahmad Zaki, adding that the man has a work pass as a translator.
“We will be recording his statement tomorrow (Thursday) and if found guilty, he will be charged under Section 5 (2) of the Tourism Industry Act 1992 which states that ‘no one shall act or do tour operator business without a licence’.
“The penalty is a maximum fine of RM50,000 or, and five years’ imprisonment,” he said.
According to him, the licensed tour operators if found guilty would be charged under Section 6 (1) f of the Tourism Industry Act 1992 which states ‘no tour operator shall do business with unlicensed tour operators and the penalty is a fine up to RM10,000 or and two years’ imprisonment’.
MOTAC, Ahmad Zaki said, is also empowered under the law to revoke their license and tour bus permits with immediate effect.
“This has been an ongoing statewide investigation. Many companies are already under our radar. It’s a matter of time before we bring them in so I am warning licensed tour operators to stop all this nonsense immediately.
“In this case, the licensed tour operators are akin to harbouring illegal tour operations by working with third parties like this illegal tour operator,” he said.