PUTRAJAYA (September 5): The tourism business whose license to operate a speedboat that reportedly illegally entered the Philippine seas last Sunday has been discovered and suspended.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (Motac) stated that the company’s operating license has been suspended until additional research is conducted to ascertain its role in the incident.
It stated that the suspension would stand until the investigation was finished and it was established beyond a reasonable doubt that the agency had not engaged in any unlawful activity.
The ministry stated that “appropriate action will be taken, which may include the permanent suspension of the license, should the investigation reveal any misconduct by the travel agency or any other party involved.”
On suspicion of illegally entering the country’s waters, Philippine officials detained 15 people last Sunday, including seven Malaysians and eight Chinese nationals.
Commissioner of the Philippine Immigration Bureau Norman Tansingco, citing a report from the Philippines News Agency (PNA), stated in a statement that those people were arrested in the waters of Sitangkai, close to Tawi-Tawi in the country’s south, after it was discovered that they had entered the country on two speedboats and lacked valid travel documents.
In the same statement, Motac added that just three Malaysian citizens had been detained by Philippine authorities about the event, according to confirmation from the Foreign Ministry.
“Due to their unauthorized entry into Philippine waters, these individuals were detained by Philippine authorities.”
However, according to Motac, more research by the Philippine police showed that they were law-abiding tourists who were there for fishing and had no malicious intent.
Motac urged all travel agents in Malaysia to ensure that their arrangements and travel packages adhere to all applicable rules and regulations.
The ministry also issued a warning, pointing out that advertising travel packages that include stops in several different nations in a single day is a major legal infraction.
Based on the statement, “keeping the integrity of the tourism industry and ensuring that travel activities are safe and legal depends on compliance with the law”- The Edge Malaysia
