KUCHING, Apr 23: Kuching South City Council (MBKS) mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng believes that Sarawak has many selling points including as culture, adventure, and nature, and thus, opening a casino is not necessary at the moment even though a controlled casino could boost tourism.
During his ShallWeeTalk Facebook livestream yesterday, Wee said the issue of opening a casino in Sarawak can be viewed from a variety of perspectives.
“What is Sarawak’s unique selling point? If there is nothing to sell and no other way to bring more tourists to the State, opening a casino may be the only way to boost tourism.
“And we have many heritage buildings on Carpenter Street, India Street, and other streets, which have been around for many years, and this is one of Kuching’s selling points,” he said, adding that Sarawak still has many selling points and products with the potential to become tourist attractions.
“However, if it’s a controlled casino, then it can be added as one of Sarawak’s tourism products.
“But, if the casino cannot be controlled, or if there is no need to build a casino, I believe there is currently no need to develop a casino in Sarawak.”
Drawing comparisons with the island republic of Singapore, Wee opined that while Singapore has several casinos and many five-star hotels, it does not have as much history and natural resources, among other things.
He also noted that Singapore has tightened casino-entry rules for locals.
“If Sarawak can impose similar casino-entry rules as Singapore, it may be possible to open a casino in Sarawak, provided that prostitution is not involved,” Wee pointed out. — DayakDaily
