SPECIAL TRAINING WILL BENEFIT NEW TOURIST GUIDES

KOTA KINABALU (Malaysia), Aug 10 (Bernama) -- Tourism Minister Dr Ng Yen
Yen's suggestion of a special training to be developed for tourist guides in
Sabah, may be beneficial to newcomers in the field.

In supporting the move, Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister
Masidi Manjun said, while many guides in the state had vast experience, there
was also a need to equip younger guides with good training.

He noted, while experience was the best education, the industry "could not
possibily wait for 20 years" for younger guides to be on par with veteran senior
guides.

Masidi was commenting on objections raised by certain quarters, following Dr
Ng's announcement last Sunday, that her ministry would discuss with its Sabah
counterpart to plan a special training programme for new tourist guides here.

Dr Ng had said the programme, which could be implemented as early as
October, would combine knowledge on city and nature tourism to meet the needs to
provide quality all-round service to tourists.

Thus, Masidi said, guides or related associations here should not be so
quick to dismiss the minister's proposed move.

Nevertheless, he encouraged tourist guide groups to submit their proposals
on the training or courses to further enhance the skills of their members.

He said they could also forward their grounds of objection towards the
proposed special training to his ministry.

"However, if they could wait until the tourism ministry announces the
details of the proposed training before making their stand, it would be better,"
he reasoned.

A local daily today reported that a group of tourist guides had expressed
dissatisfaction over Dr Ng's proposal.