PETALING JAYA: Tourism, arts and culture minister Tiong King Sing has ordered his ministry to hold immediate talks with the finance ministry over the impact of the diesel price hike on transport providers in the tourism sector.
Tiong said his ministry is keeping a close eye on the price hike and its effect on the tourism transport sector, acknowledging that this has led to a surge in operating costs for operators who depend heavily on diesel.
He also said this could cause a domino effect on overall tourism arrivals, businesses, and the stability of Malaysia’s tourism ecosystem.
“I have received feedback from the relevant associations and stakeholders and ordered my ministry to initiate immediate consultations with the finance ministry.
“These discussions will focus on the current situation and consider temporary targeted measures to ease the short-term pressures that have arisen, partly due to developments in the Middle East,” he said in a Facebook post.
Tiong said the government wants to both stabilise and upgrade the sector, given that it is a core pillar of the tourism industry.
He said the objective is not only to help operators tide over the current situation but to build a more competitive and durable tourism transport sector.
“I urge industry players to continue keeping contact with the government and to take part in rational and constructive dialogue as we collaborate in handling this issue.
“I hope all parties would remain calm and act prudently, without being merely emotional. The government will do its best to balance the various interests involved and look for a reasonable solution,” he said.
The price of diesel in West Malaysia has gone up by RM1.60 in the past two weeks as a result of the war in the Middle East.
The Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association warned that tourism transport operators may be forced to shut down if Putrajaya does not intervene with a diesel subsidy, while the Malaysian Tourism Agency Association said the price hike could affect the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign.
In Langkawi, ferry services to the island will be reduced to three trips a day after Aidilfitri in view of the hike in industrial diesel price.
