MALAYSIA International Tourism Development Association president Captain Mahadzir Mansor has been drawing flak on the social media for describing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as a major reason why tourists are flocking Malaysia.
One wonders if this is a diversion from scorching heat endured by Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing over the absence of mosques in the 41-second Visit Malaysia Year 2026 promotional video but surely Malaysians have other thoughts.
Leading the firing squad is Gerakan’s NGO bureau chief Jimmy Chew Jyh Gang who described Mahadzir’s statement which was aired over Astro Awani’s Pantau Agenda Reformasi programme on Wednesday (Jan 8) “as excessively bootlicking”.
“Tourism should focus on the attractiveness of the country as a whole, not just on political figures, henceforth efforts to improve the country’s overall image are more important,” he lambasted in a media statement.
“Relying on the popularity of a leader to attract tourists may be ineffective if the international perception of the country is influenced by other issues such as human rights, media freedom or political stability.”
“In fact, there are reports that since becoming PM, Anwar has been involved in several controversies, including restricting media freedom and orchestrating the arrest of political opponents on sedition charges.”
Speechless human rights activist and lawyer Siti Kasim has only this to say in her social media posts on Facebook and X:
“Seriously? Are you kidding me? This is a joke, right? 🙄Malaysia International Tourism Development Association president claims many tourists come to Malaysia because of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership.”
Who can blame netizens from hurling brickbats at Mahadzir that he has reached “a new height of apple polishing”. (Editor’s note: Hope he does not accuse the media of having misquoted his statement.)
Or either that he is eyeing some big projects or harbouring political ambition of some sort.
One netizen reckoned that Mahadzir “should be more creative rather than just dishing out a third-class joke” given that defiant UMNO Youth chief Datuk Sr Muhamad Akmal Saleh makes “a better tourist attractions with his intellect devoid antics”.
On the more hilarious front, one netizen reckoned that Cheese tourists who flocked Bukit Bintang come to Malaysia because of the durian while another reckoned that 99% of causal tourists to Malaysia “don’t know who the PM is let alone know how to pronounce his name”.
Moreover, who could deny that that “tourists are coming to Malaysia because our currency is dropping”, suggested one netizen.
Some sarcastically wondered if Mahadzir was referring to “Palestinian tourists” given Anwar is a renowned champion of the Palestinian cause at world stage.
One reckoned that disgraced former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak is “more handsome than Anwar”.
At the end of the day, some netizens reminded Malaysians that April Fool’s Day “is still three months away”. – Jan 10, 2025
