KUALA LUMPUR, June 7- Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz (photo) will be asking for an additional allocation of RM300 million for the ministry as the RM358 million allocated by the government for 2013 is insufficient.
He said the RM358 million was insufficient because the ministry has taken over the National Culture and Arts Department (JKKN) from the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry since May.
“The tourism industry is a vital source of income for the country; every ringgit given is not money spent but an investment for the country,” he said after his working visit to the JKKN office at the Bukit Perdana government complex in Jalan Datuk Onn, here, today.
Nazri said he wanted the allocation for the ministry to reach the target of RM700 million this year although its budget for 2013 saw a 42 per cent increase.
As the new tourism minister, he admitted that he still had much more to learn about the country’s tourism industry.
He said he was, however, thankful to have very dedicated officers who proved capable of saving the tourism industry in Sabah from being affected by the intrusion by militants from southern Philippines in February this year.
Nazri said the latest statistics showed that there was no marked drop in the number of tourists visiting Sabah.
Earlier, in his speech, Nazri said his visit to the JKKN today was nostalgic as the department located in Block F of the complex was his first workplace after being appointed as deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in 1995.
“Many people criticised me after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak appointed me as the new tourism minister as I have been known as a fiery minister, so they questioned how a fierce person like me could attract tourists. Actually, I have to be fierce when facing my political enemies,” he revealed.
Nazri claimed to be soft at heart and had explained to the JKKN officers and staff that his personal situation was like “you don’t love me because you don’t know me”.
– BERNAMA
