Tour guides from China have a virtual monopoly over tour groups from China and their local counterparts are not happy with this, according to reports by Chinese daily Nan Yang Siang Pau.

Industry experts claim that there are 500 Chinese-speaking local tour guides in Malaysia and they have not received a single booking up to the Chinese New Year period.

The Chinese tour guides are reportedly cheaper, charging RM180 a day while locals - who have proper accreditation - charge RM250.

In view of this, the livelihood of Chinese-speaking local tour guides is now at stake, said the report.

Several industry players told the daily that tour guides from China were all working illegally since the law required foreign tour groups to engage local guides.

One local tour guide claimed that the tour guides from China would engage one local guide - not a Malaysian Chinese - to be on the tour bus to avoid suspicion by the authorities.

However, what irks local tour guides the most was the inaccuracies in the description of historical sights and stories as told by the tour guides from China.

One local tour guide said he once heard a Chinese tour guide distort the legend of Langkawi Island's Mahsuri and compared her with the villainous Pan Jinlian from 16th century Chinese novel Water Margin.

Another local tour guide claimed that a Chinese tour guide told his group of tourists that Admiral Cheng Ho had an affair with Hang Li Po.

"Some tourists might prefer to hear about scandals. It might make an interesting story but this is wrong.

"How can they (tour guides from China) not know that Cheng Ho was a eunuch? Hang Li Po was married to the Melaka Sultan Mansur Shah. (Their version) is disrespectful," said a local tour guide who requested anonymity.

Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association president Albert Tan told the daily that although Malaysia appreciated the presence of Chinese tourists, tour operators must respect local laws, in particular the Tourism Industry Act 1992.