Matta Sarawak wants SDMC to review EnterSarawak application

0

Oscar Choo

KUCHING (Dec 28): The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) Sarawak Chapter has appealed to the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) to review the EnterSarawak application.

Its chairman Oscar Choo said based on the feedback received from the applicants, the application is not user friendly, troublesome, and may cause unnecessary anxiety due to its last-minute confirmation.

“Almost all members of the travel industry have had their fair share in assisting and tutoring their guests when it comes to the EnterSarawak application (when the industry themselves are clueless on how the application works).

“And to make things worst, the SDMC hotline is never available when questions or help is needed which in the end falls back to the travel agents to assist the clients.

“An applicant will be lucky to have such assistance from a travel agent which they have booked their tour with but what about those applicants who do not have such connections?” he said in a statement today.

Choo said another scenario is when SDMC only approves the applicants’ application a day before the departure date to Sarawak which makes clients uncomfortable in paying travel agents the packages booked, be it a deposit or in full.

“The clients questioned what if their application is not approved and what will happen to their deposit, paid accommodations and flights,” he added.

Choo said all these questions make closing a business deal extremely difficult as Matta Sarawak Chapter members do not have the confidence nor answer to assure the clients that they will certainly have the approval.

“As we are currently promoting inter-state travel, it has also been brought to our attention that tour operators and partners from other states of Malaysia feel that the EnterSarawak application is such a hassle that they would rather divert their clients to other parts of Malaysia (Sabah in particular which is experiencing a boom in the local travel scene).

“Already begging for business and picking up crumbs, members are again left deserted due to the inefficacy of a failed entry requirement. It is our hope that a more relaxed entry requirement be practiced by SDMC to enable applicants to enter the state with ease and confidence.

“In this extremely difficult period, the travel industry is trying their best to survive and endure the never ending pandemic. However, EnterSarawak application is adding to the burden rather than helping the travel industry,” he said.