By Yow Hong Chieh
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 18, 2011
The Facebook pages operated by the Tourism Ministry are “complicated” and cost more to run than similar personal pages on the world’s most popular social networking site, Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said tonight
The MCA president waded into the controversy surrounding the RM1.8 million paid for six Facebook pages by the ministry helmed by party vice president Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen, saying it might cost nothing to start such pages but maintenance had costs.
He added that it was difficult to put a dollar figure to the creativity of the IT consultants used, which he suggested was the largest variable in the bill.
“That creativity, I don’t know how much they will charge,” he told reporters after attending a fundraising dinner at SMJK Chong Hwa here.
“It’s something that you cannot measure, not like the server and the software. That one you can quantify the amount.”
Dr Chua pointed out that the high-value of creativity was the reason 23-year-old Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg was named youngest billionaire by Forbes in 2008.
He, nonetheless, said he will request from Ng the minutes of yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, which was convened to seek clarification from her on the RM1.8 million outlay.
The Malaysian Insider, quoting sources, reported yesterday that Ng had been told not to waste time by her fellow ministers after it became clear she had no intention of providing a breakdown of the costs.
The debacle over the Tourism Ministry’s Facebook expenses began on Tuesday when Ng’s deputy, James Dawos Mamit, revealed in Parliament that RM1,758,432 had been spent developing six Facebook pages for the ministry.
He had said each of the six pages — Cuti-Cuti 1Malaysia, Citrawarna 1Malaysia, Karnival Jualan Mega 1Malaysia, Festival Pelancongan Seni Kontemporari 1Malaysia, Kempen 1Malaysia Bersih and Fabulous Food 1Malaysia — cost RM293,072.
The announcement drew condemnation from the online community, sparking a spontaneous campaign that same evening which invited thousands to condemn Ng’s exorbitant spending.
Her ministry first entered the spotlight late last year when it was revealed in Parliament that Ng had spent more for her official trips abroad despite slashing the tourism promotional budget.
Ng again came under fire after Tourism Malaysia’s former advertising agency alleged that the ministry had asked for bribes in exchange for a promotion contract.
#1 by Bigjoe on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 7:46 am
Obviously this is all about repayment for NYY covering him when CSL got caught with his pants down. The problem is ITS ALSO STUPID. Its obviously untrue and crude application of general principles without much real knowledge.
CSL actually makes it worst because it proves that ENTIRE leadership of MCA now is crude, rude, pathetic. Leaders? I don’t even want my children near them…
#2 by Godfather on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 8:04 am
Trying to defend NYY with his “Er…er….hmmmm…..hmmmmm….ah….ah….oh…oh….” explanation is just going to make the matter worse. Nobody believes her, not even the other ministers, and this clown continues to defend her with his gobbledeegook comments.
What value of creativity ? What has the founder of Facebook got to do with our own stupidity ? The simple fact is that MCA paid a crony RM 1.8 million for something that even social media experts say should have cost much less. The owner of Impact Creations and NYY are bosom buddies, so the attempt was made to fleece the rakyat through the “logic” that people won’t take notice of a “small” amount.
Why is MCA so pathetic ? Ex President and exDeputy President charged with misleading the government through billions in PKFZ. So now they want to be charged with misleading the government with RM 1.8 million ?
#3 by yhsiew on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 8:04 am
///The Facebook pages operated by the Tourism Ministry are “complicated” and cost more to run than similar personal pages on the world’s most popular social networking site, Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said tonight///
CSL was talking nonsense.
#4 by monsterball on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 8:12 am
Chua Soi Lek reminds me of an idiotic HM trying to cover up his corrupted school teacher….to strengthen his position.
Come to UMNO B’s crooks….he is quiet as a mouse.
So this is not defending an uncorrupted minister at all.
This is defending a mousedeer….who has been proven to be a rat…for his own survival too.
He feels no shame at all …where the whole world saw his sex show.
MCA means a party for the Chinese rights.
Malaysian Chinese are so sick of MCA keep misrepresenting them…with no shame…no dignity ..no principles in life…where Malaysians Chinese value these…. more than money.
A Japanese or a Chinese will gladly commit suicide..if one is exposed like CSL to the world.
But in Malaysia…his goons voted him in a President.
I cannot help laughing… when Chua Soi Lek said Malaysians Chinese wanted him to be MCA president.
#5 by bruno on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 8:35 am
These last few days we have Umno leaders coming out to threatened and intimidate Bersih rally organisers and participants with threats like counter rally and arrest.And the leaders of MCA and its little sibling MIC was nowhere to be seen or heard.
Now out of nowhere come CSL.Instead of making a stand on where his party stand on the Bersih issue he came out to defend Ng Yen Yen about the facebook issue.Ng Yen Yen is a fullgrown lady and a Minister.She can defend herself if she is innocent.If she is guilty she will be Umno’s sarcrificial lamb,and there is nothing CSL can do.
But even if CSL’s heart and consience is with Bersih and the people he will be too chicken to support it.He and his MCA ministers dare not offend his master Umno for fear of being kick out of BN.CSL if you lack the marbles you should stand down and let some other clown take over.Maybe your deputy the lapdog HM.Anyway in a few more months in GE 13 your party will be decimated and you can go to your next career as what you know best.An actor in sex movies.
#6 by hallo on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 8:35 am
Like the news wasting their times
Don’t wasting people times listening the stupid excuses
Just admit it was wrongful handle of government fun if you all are an honest politicians
#7 by donng55 on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 9:19 am
Now, let’s examine Chua’s statement: “… the high-value of creativity was the reason 23-year-old Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg was named youngest billionaire by Forbes in 2008. …”
Is MCA President Dato Seri Chua Soi Lek trying to imply that because development of Facebook pages involve creativity, therefore the close to RM1.8m cost incurred by the Tourism Ministry for the pages is justified?
We ask, “What has the RM1,758,432 splurge got to do with Mark Zuckerberg being named as the youngest billionaire by Forbes?”
The success story of Facebook and that of Mark Zuckerberg is because of the American avant-garde’s idea and the “user friendliness” of the system/platform he built into it.
To be sure, it is difficult to get over standing prejudices, yet if we will suffer ourselves to examine what Chua said above we shall find it to be the base remains of two component fallacies frequently practised by BN politicians, of whom Chua Soi Lek is one.
First — Ignoratio elenchi (a.k.a. “irrelevant conclusion” or “begging the question”). According to online Oxford Dictionaries, it is a logical fallacy that consists in apparently refuting an opponent while actually disproving something not asserted.
This fallacy occurs when a rhetorician adapts an argument purporting to establish a particular conclusion and directs it to prove a different conclusion. One of the most common forms of ignoratia elenchi is the “red herring.”
Secondly — non sequitur (Latin for “it does not follow”). An inference or conclusion that does not follow from previous or established argument/statement/premises/evidence.
So, caveat plebs plebis (let the people beware)!
#8 by undertaker888 on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 9:42 am
When is MACC going to throw YY out the window? For less than 2400rm, someone flew off the window.
They can start with YY, toyol, taik, CSL, Sami, and so on. But then again, real crooks in this country don’t fly off the MACC’s window. Only witnesses and good people do.
#9 by ktteokt on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 10:12 am
NYY’s Tourism Facebook page must be lined with PURE GOLD to cost 1.8M! Mine is simply pariah and not worth a cent but my contents are more INTERESTING than that of her stupid ministry!
#10 by wanderer on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 10:52 am
Monsterball, you gave the best account of this MCA porno jerk to date. Well done!…just keep your blood pressure down a bit, hehe
#11 by Cinapek on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 1:06 pm
“..He, nonetheless, said he will request from Ng the minutes of yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, which was convened to seek clarification from her on the RM1.8 million outlay….”
CSL may be MCA President but he has no official Govt position much less any position in the Cabinet. If NYY shows him the minutes of the Cabinet meeting she should be charged for breaching the Official Secrets Act for divulging Cabinet meeting minutes to CSL.
MCA, all you and your leaders are doing are simply driving one nail after another into MCA’s coffin. You are not only eunuchs in UMNO’s court, you are lousy eunuchs that do not know how to curi makan. Your ex President and ex Deputy President are charged for wrongdoing in the PKFZ case. And it does not take much imagination to figure out that many others are also involved and even if they are not, they were aware of it but chose to keep quiet, which makes them conspirators to steal from the rakyat.
CSL, MCA needs a completely new leadership without any links to the past to have any hope to stay relevant. Just as Lee Kuan Yew, Goh Chok Thong and a Deputy PM and six senior ministers all step down after PAP did badly in their last GE to take responsibility and allow a complete leadership rejuvenation with a new Cabinet minus the baggage of the old guards, MCA needs to do likewise. Otherwise, MCA is history comes the next GE and CSL will go down in history as the President who presided over the final death throes of the once proud MCA.
#12 by waterfrontcoolie on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 3:01 pm
# 11, don’t insult Lau Lee by comparing MCA with DAP. Lau Lee and gang may have been antique with their no nonsense style of administeration; yes the younger set of their people can’t accept it but this bunch over here?
#13 by waterfrontcoolie on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 2:56 pm
CSL, you got the B.LLs to compare the Founder of Facebook with BN’s cronies for creating easy cash!!
#14 by rockdaboat on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 4:39 pm
“Tourism Facebook pages incur more cost than personal ones?”
Obviously this porn star knows next to nothing about facebook.
Each time he opens his mouth, he makes people more disgusted with him and look down on him!
#15 by boh-liao on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 5:08 pm
蔡细历为旅游部长黄燕燕辩护