A little bird told me…

The red-naped trogon (harpactes kasumba) is found in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests in Malaysia and the region.

I know readers have been watching the Tourism Malaysia pitch saga unfold across our pages in recent months and quite a few individuals have been charged with their cases now in court. Hopefully, the truth will surface.

In the meantime, a little bird told me something about what’s happening at Tourism Malaysia but I can’t confirm if it is true.

It seems the highest legal office in the land has prepared charge papers on the highest tourism officer in the country.

If this is true, this could mark a turning in the way tax payers’ money is being spent on how we market ourselves to the world.

…. Personally, I feel the government deserves the best advisors in this regard and I am happy to assemble a team of world-class experts (with no vested interests) for the task…

Apart from transparency, the painful questions I have are:

What qualifications do government officials who are decision-makers on advertising concepts have?

Does a university degree and a few months of internship in an ad agency qualify one to have the final say on which advertising idea works and which does not?

Should the government pay pitch disbursements to prevent phantom pitches?

Should the government have a panel of external experts to advise on pitches to ensure it is getting the best outcome, as in the case of Tourism campaigns which potentially impact billions and cost millions?

Personally, I feel the government deserves the best advisors in this regard and I am happy to assemble a team of world-class experts (with no vested interests) for the task.

The 14th Malaysian Media Conference (MMC) is happening on 25 September at the Sime Darby Convention Center and is proud to announce its list of speakers compromising the most influential leaders in Malaysia’s media landscape. Have you registered to join MMC 2020?