Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah
KUCHING: Minister of Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah is not happy with the remarks made by Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik.
Fatimah said the remarks that “staggered school holidays will avoid overcrowding” as reported in the media recently was very disappointing.
Last Tuesday, Muhammad Bakhtiar proposed staggered school holidays to spur the tourism sector and to reduce crowds at local tourist hotspots.
He said that his ministry was proposing and preparing a full report for the Education Ministry to consider scheduling different school holiday seasons for the country.
He had also said that when the school holidays are staggered, the quality of domestic tourism would be higher because there would be less overcrowding issues.
“The implication is that education, welfare and wellbeing of Malaysian children are secondary in nature to accommodate the tourism agenda. It should be the other way around, for example how tourism can be part and parcel of educational experience and development of Malaysian children, broadening their perspective, world view, cultural horizon.
“The ministry should also think of increasing and improving local tourism destinations, provide affordable packages for family bonding, install features which are child-friendly, fun and safe for all children,” Fatimah argued.