KUALA LUMPUR (April 9): Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi has clarified that the departure levy, which will come into force on June 1, will only be applicable to those taking flights overseas, while those travelling by cruise ships will not be subject to the tax.

The statement was made as a correction to his earlier statement that tourists on cruise ships could potentially be subject to the departure levy, during a press conference in the Parliament lobby today.

The levy, which was proposed in Budget 2019, will be RM20 per passenger for those departing to Asean countries, and RM40 to other countries.

Mohamaddin said it is unlikely that the proposed levy would affect passenger traffic to Malaysia, pointing out that most other countries have a similar fee imposed on travellers.