With our neighbouring country Thailand overtaking us as the most visited Southeast Asian nation last year, the onus is now on our tourism industry to improve our facilities and services to compete.
This is to attract domestic tourists too as many Malaysians, some 4.6 million of them, now prefer to travel to Thailand for holiday than within the country.
New camera, photography and shooting fees at Wang Kelian Viewpoint, Perlis
For illustration purposes
With that being said, one popular domestic tourist destination has gotten a lot of flak from Malaysians recently after introducing new charges that many claim would deter travellers from visiting.
Taking to X, user @MSazriman shared how the Wang Kelian Viewpoint in Perlis is now charging fees for bringing in cameras or recording devices.
For illustration purposes
Furthermore, there are also more exorbitant fees for doing photoshoots or recording films or documentaries at the picturesque lookout point, something that the place didn’t impose before.
In the X post, @Msazriman shared a photo of a notice announcing the new ‘camera, photography and video shooting’ fees, with the amount varying based on whether you’re a Malaysian or a foreigner.
The new fees are up to RM1,000 per day
For Malaysians, bringing in a camera or video recorder would incur an RM15 charge per unit, with the same fee being RM20 per unit for foreigners.
Meanwhile, the charge for doing photography sessions at the Wang Kelian Viewpoint is RM200 per day for Malaysians and RM400 per day for foreigners.
For illustration purposes
As for doing filming or documentary sessions at the lookout point, a charge of RM500 per day is imposed for Malaysians and a whopping RM1,000 per day for foreigners.
In the caption, @MSazriman wrote,
“This year is Visit Perlis year… Going up to Wang Kelian with a camera now has a charge…When the place is not famous, photographer and videographer gangs are the ones who promote this place.
“When there are now a lot of visitors, they start charging… And they complain about why many tourists are going to Thailand. Failed.”
Malaysians aren’t happy about the new fees
In the replies to the X post, many Malaysians echoed the same sentiment as @MSazriman, saying that such fees are deterring people from visiting.
One commenter said that past visitors have helped to promote the place for free but now they want to charge extra to visitors. Furthermore, when fewer people are coming to Wang Kelian, they’ll blame it on the Tourism Ministry.
Meanwhile, another commenter said that he’s lucky to have visited Wang Kelian Viewpoint before these new fees, if not, he wouldn’t have visited at all.
Only photography and video shooting for commercial use are charged
Following many Malaysians voicing their dissatisfaction online, the Perlis State Tourism, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Wan Badariah Wan Saad has released a statement clarifying that the whole matter was just a misunderstanding.
On her official Facebook page, Wan Badariah asserted that the “new fees” were not actually new as it was introduced in 2020 under the previous Perlis State Government and were imposed beginning December 2023.
Moreover, she clarified that the fees are only imposed for photography or video shooting for commercial uses only.
Wan Badariah said,
“The fees imposed by the state Forestry Department are only for commercial shootings involving the use of DSLR cameras and equivalent equipment. If it’s only for personal use, hobby or to be uploaded on social media, there will be no fees imposed.”
So, what do you guys think of the whole situation? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Also read: State of Perlis Recognised as 10th National Geopark
