Minister gets brickbats and bouquets

Straight shooting Tiong King sing is in the midst of a racially tinged controversy for demoting Tourism Malaysia’s dg. but the feisty bintulu MP, as always, is taking on all detractors.

TOURISM, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing is certainly not a typical Malaysian minister. He dares to dance and drink in public and has no qualms about shooting from the hip at critics who question his decisions or demeanour.

He is smack in the middle of another controversy again after he demoted former Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board (Tourism Malaysia) director-general Datuk Dr Ammar Abd Ghapar to the lower rank of deputy DG.

The letter terminating Ammar’s tenure went viral on social media and as expected, the conversation quickly turned into a racially-charged one, with the main narrative of a Chinese minister victimising a senior Malay civil servant.

Ammar questioned the judgment behind his demotion, stating that the five-day notice ending his service had tarnished his image and reputation. He was quoted as saying that he did not deserve such treatment after having served the ministry for 36 years.

He also said he did not know where he had gone wrong, adding that if he had committed errors during his tenure as DG, the ministry should have shown proof of his wrongdoing and given him a chance to explain.

Ammar’s predicament drew sympathy from the Malaysian Tourism Federation’s (MTF) and Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board Employees’ Union.

MTF secretary-general Sri Ganesh Michiel said Ammar’s removal was disheartening for industry players, especially when it was recovering from the impact of Covid-19, adding that it was vital for Tourism Malaysia to be led by a seasoned veteran.

Union president Alwi Shakir Abdullah said the “extremely short” notice given to Ammar left a negative impression on the ministry, which could affect three million workers in the hospitality and tourism sector.

Former Umno supreme council member Isham Jalil has claimed that the demotion of Ammar was illegal as ministers could not arbitrarily sack or demote any civil servant, citing Article 135 (2) of the Federal Constitution, which covers restrictions on dismissal and reductions in rank.

Under the Article, civil servants need to be given the right to be heard before they are sacked or demoted, except in criminal cases, national security, detention or banishment, he said.

But Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali had clarified earlier that the minister does have the power to appoint, demote or sack the DG, and this authority is derived from the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board Act.

In his blunt response, Tiong, who is MP for Bintulu, said Ammar’s demotion had nothing to do with race or abuse of his ministerial powers. Ammar, he explained, was removed because he “under-performed” as DG, despite being given many chances to improve.

Tiong said the various state governments had also complained about Ammar’s lack of engagement and that he and his deputy, Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan, had both given him (Ammar) advice and asked for his views on what was best for the tourism industry.

“I don’t know if he had no ideas or he did not know how to execute them. But if you cannot perform, you must be switched out,” Tiong said.

“Yes, it’s true that he was due for retirement in March next year, but for the good of the tourism industry, I cannot wait till next year to act,” he said.

Despite the barrage of brickbats and racial rhetoric targeted at him in social media, Tiong has received solid support from the people who really matter – members of Tourism Malaysia’s board of directors. They issued a statement declaring that they were fully behind the “strategic changes” introduced by the minister.

They noted that while tourist arrivals and revenue had improved, the figures were considerably short of the levels before the Covid-19 pandemic and, based on the feedback from various industry players, state governments and the public, there was a need for significant change especially in terms of promoting tourism products in line with the current needs.

“There is also a need for the tourism industry to compete more aggressively with regional neighbours. The board will work towards providing feedback and guidance to ensure that the aspirations are accepted and implemented well and transparently,” the statement read.

Netizens have also come out to support Tiong’s bold decision, comparing the minister from Sarawak to those from the peninsula, who often refrain from acting or even speaking against top officers and “little Napoleons” in the civil service.

Tiong’s exploits, such as his “barging into” the KLIA arrival hall on June 30 last year to intervene in the detention of two Chinese nationals, and his accusations of a “culture of corruption” among Immigration personnel who demanded bribes from travellers, were refreshed again in social media, along with other confrontations.

In October last year, Tiong defended himself against criticism from Perikatan Nasional’s Masjid Tanah MP Mas Ermieyati Samsudin for drinking alcohol and dancing in public while celebrating Gawai in December 2022. She claimed that he was unfit to hold the post of Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister.

“They invited me, so I joined them. It was a festival. I had some fun with the kids, acted a little ‘crazy’. What’s wrong with that? Don’t make a big deal out of it,” he said.

In January this year, the minister challenged an unnamed critic to come forward within two weeks after that person spread an allegation via Whatsapp that Tiong drank alcohol and ate pork in his office. Tiong said he usually ignored baseless accusations, but the content of this particular fake news was racially sensitive and was an attempt at inciting racial hatred.

Media consultant M. Veera Pandiyan likes this observation by Maya Angelou: “Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible.” The views expressed here are the writer’s own.