NO TO ROOMSHARING FOR TOURIST GUIDES OF OPPOSITE SEX

KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 (Bernama) -- Tourism Minister Dr Ng
Yen Yen has warned tour and travel agencies not to force tourist guides from the
opposite sex to share rooms.

"From June 1, tour agencies that force tourist guides and bus drivers from
the opposite sex to share rooms while on the job will have their licences
revoked.

"We have asked the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agencies (MATTA)
to work with the Malaysian Women Tourist Guides Association (WTGA) to monitor if
there is such discriminatory practice," she said after a meeting with
representatives from tour agencies, tourist guides and hoteliers here Thursday.

Ng said women tourist guides caught in such a situation should write to the
ministry detailing the incidents so that action could be taken.

The ministry would ask developers of new hotels to build separate
dormitories for women tourist guides and bus drivers just like that in Vietnam.

"I will write to the association of hoteliers and raise the matter at
the next Cabinet meeting so that the Public Works Department is informed of this
new condition for hotels."

Ng said 1,400 of 4,000 tourist guides in the country were women but only
100 were registered with the Women Tourist Guides Association.

-- BERNAMA