Ministry to ditch controversial tourism logo
KUALA LUMPUR: The Tourism Ministry has decided to ditch the Visit Malaysia Year 2020 logo featuring a grinning orangutan in sunglasses.
Its minister, Mohamaddin Ketapi, said the logo had come under criticism since it was introduced early this year.
He said the ministry planned to organise a contest for people to come up with a new design.
“We will improvise on the logo... we may get rid of the grinning orangutan in sunglasses... many have criticised it, saying that it looks hideous,” he said, adding that it was difficult for him to defend the logo with so many negative comments about it.
Mohamaddin, however, admitted that there would be those who would criticise him for wanting to change the logo, which was launched early this year.
Former tourism minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz had come under fire for the logo, which featured an orangutan and a turtle in sunglasses with the tagline: “Travel. Enjoy. Respect”.
Netizens condemned the logo’s uneven font sizes and retro-looking illustrations.
Nazri had said the logo was designed by the ministry’s in-house team and that he trusted their design, adding that criticism “was normal”.
“I can’t be using a serious logo. This is tourism and it’s supposed to be fun,” he was quoted as saying. Despite his explanation, thousands of people later signed an online petition calling for the logo to be dropped by the tourism board.