Unspun

What the Malaysian Tourism Board stuff up, the Malaysians repair


This is one of the times that Unspun is proud of being a Malaysian. After Datuk Wong Chun Wai of The Star highlighted Indoensian blogger Nila Tanzil’s brush with the nincompoops in the Malaysian Tourism Board, Jeff Ooi pointed out Nila’s postings. (for context see here)

Since then the Malaysian wong cilik (Javanese for the common man, or woman) bloggers have been visiting Nila’s personal and corporate blogs to commiserate and to encourage her.

The message mostly is that they are sorry for their petty bureaucrats’ incompetence and behavior and that Malaysia really has much more to offer the visitor. Unspun thinks that at the rate things are going, the MTB should just sack its nincompoops and hire the Malaysian wong cilik bloggers instead – they are certainly doing a better job promoting the country and building up goodwill with our neighbors. Way to go bloggers!

unspun
, , ,

7 responses to “What the Malaysian Tourism Board stuff up, the Malaysians repair”

  1. sharina Avatar
    sharina

    *sigh*

    If only the government ACTUALLY listened to Malaysian wong cilik bloggers. There’s nothing we can do until they actually take up our suggestions because hey, how can we know better than them eh?

    Sad case.

    Like

    Reply
  2. Ong Cilik Avatar
    Ong Cilik

    I wouldn’t be surprised if MTB choose to ignore the episode and continue with the shoddy work. At the end of the day, the nincompoops will still sit on their fat ass. As they say…lupakan aje…

    Like

    Reply
  3. Opah Avatar
    Opah

    I afraid Nila Tanzil should have lowered her expectations before accepting the invitation from Tourism Malaysia.

    Tourism Malaysia is ultimately headed by the Honourable Minister of Tourism of Malaysia (let’s call him “MT Man” for short).

    I recall MT Man travelled all the way to Jakarta to launch Visit Malaysia 2007 a couple of months ago. At the official launch, in front of hundreds of Indonesian guests, MT Man invited tourists from Indonesia to visit our Malaysian beaches!

    MT Man probably did not know that Indonesia has 15,000 islands and hundreds of truly world class beaches. And I am certain that he has never heard of the Javanese legend of Kanjeng Ratu Kidul (the Queen of the South Sea)…

    With an “ultimate leader” like that who could blame Tourism Malaysia for stuffing up poor Nila’s trip.

    Like

    Reply
  4. unspun Avatar
    unspun

    Opah: Haha. Beaches are funny but I have a story that tops that.

    A few years ago the same minister (I think, don’t pay too much attention towho they are) was at a function for tour operators in Jakarta. And what did he try to sell them? The Malaysian Homestay Experience in a Kampung! H was very proud on how visitors can watch the padi ripen, rubber trees are tapped…the smell of bullshit.

    Just imagine that. Half of the Indonesians probably strugled half their lives to get out of kampungs and this guy tells them to go to Malaysia and visit a kampung. Really kampungan lah our minister.

    Like

    Reply
  5. Opah Avatar
    Opah

    To be fair I MT Man wasn’t the Minister then. He became MT in 2006.

    It was some other clown….

    Like

    Reply
  6. unspun Avatar
    unspun

    Opah: Thanks for pointing this out. Itis difficult to tell clowns apart when they have no Unique Selling Propositions or points of differentiation 🙂

    Like

    Reply
  7. Opah Avatar
    Opah

    It was probably Kadir Sheik Fadhir, who was MT a few years ago…

    And that brings me to another story. Several years ago a friend of mine was working for the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok. One fine day he received notice that the then MT was going to visit Bangkok and my friend was asked to arrange the itinerary.

    Strangely, although it was a “official visit” i.e. paid for by Malaysian taxpayers, there was only one item on the agenda – MT had requested for a meeting with one of the top TV stations in Thailand.

    Panic ensured – the TV station management wanted to know what it was all about, so they could prepare. The Embassy guy did not know, and so it went, to and fro between Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.

    Finally the day of the visit arrived. MT turned up in Bangkok with several family members – on an “official trip”.

    The next day he goes to the TV station. The entire top management is there, eager to hear what our MT has in mind. It turned out that MT wanted to meet one of the top Thai actresses. He was told she did not work there, she merely acted in several sinetrons that the station had aired.

    End of meeting, MT left after being told the disappointing news and the poor Embassy guy was left behind to try to explain what his MT was up to.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment