By Siti Rohaizah Zainal
SERI KEMBANGAN, Sept 6 — The Selangor government will implement a regularisation process for homestays in the state using appropriate measures to address the issue of accommodations being operated on agricultural land.
State executive councillor for local government and tourism Dato’ Ng Suee Lim said this is to ensure that accommodations competing with the hotel industry operate legally and adhere to established standards.
“We acknowledge the issue of homestays being developed on agricultural land and we have also received complaints from hotel operators.
“Therefore, we are working to address the matter through a regularisation process.
"The state government wants both industries to thrive, as they each serve important roles, and we will work towards better coordination," he told reporters after visiting Farm in the City, here, yesterday.
Ng said the state plans to register homestays with the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry as well as the local authorities.
He added that the move is meant to ensure the safety of tourists and assist the authorities in obtaining necessary information in the event of any unforeseen incidents at any accommodation.
"We don't want the state government to be criticised for a failure of supervision. If any issues arise involving local authorities, we are ready to assist," he said.
