Datuk Tan Kok Liang, president of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) said that they're thankful for the government’s assistance provided, but much more can be done to help travel and tour companies, and other stakeholders in the tourism industry.

Tan said that a targeted stimulus package for the tourism industry is urgently needed to ensure the industry can rebound, once things begin to normalize.

“MATTA will continue to engage and, with whatever resources it has, will work hand-in-hand with the government towards rebuilding the tourism industry,” Tan said. The statement was a response to the government's announcement yesterday on an additional RM10 billion assistance package targeted at helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) affected by Malaysia's movement control order (MCO) to curb the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tan said MATTA hopes the government will reassess the wage subsidy program to allow it to go on for six months or more because the tourism industry will take much longer to recover, post COVID-19. 

It was reported measures announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in a televised speech yesterday, included expanded subsidies for SMEs with employees earning RM4,000 and below a month. It was reported companies benefiting from this subsidy will have to retain employees for six months — during the three-month period they receive the subsidy, and three months after receiving the subsidy.

According to MATTA’s statement, a recent survey conducted by MATTA among its members, indicated a retrenchment rate of close to 30% of the travel agency workforce over the coming months, as it is expected to take more than a year for tourism to fully recover from the global COVID-19 crisis.