— Abdul Haleem
The Malaysian Insider
Mar 14, 2012
MARCH 14 — One of the prolonged illnesses, which afflicts Malaysian politics, is ministers coming out with stupid if not absurd statements. Usually it is followed by a sudden flip flop.
Today, we have our Tourism Minister saying foreigners are shunning the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme, because they do not perceive the country to be peaceful and stable. Bernama reported Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen blaming recent street demonstrations for hindering promotional efforts for MM2H. She even said that “this is the key barrier preventing foreigners from staying in Malaysia for long period.”
I have a question for her. When did we launch the MM2H programme and since then how many street demos have we seen in Malaysia? Just because she is running out of ideas to explain her ministry’s failures she should not assume Malaysians will just accept her idiotic answers. An SPM student would be able to cook up more concrete reasons than her. Or perhaps this MM2H was a failure from day one.
Just in case she is unaware of them (she is busy promoting Malaysia), let me give her some of the possible reasons why foreigners are not showing interest in MM2H.
Malaysia is NOT SAFE. Read about Nurul Nadirah who went missing, only for her charred remains to be found a couple of days later? This is not the first time we have found a missing toddler’s remains in a gruesome condition.
The Malaysian Government acts with NO SENSE. Grammy winners’ concerts get cancelled at the eleventh hour. Why? She had an offensive tattoo? To whom? And after all that it turned out not to be a real tattoo at all. Any official apology for those who bought tickets and were not offended by the tattoo? Let’s not go into the number of movies, books, T-shirts that we have banned. We even censor song lyrics and we DID censor a certain phrase that appeared in The Economist.
Bad Traffic System — We have a SMART tunnel which is not so SMART. I can’t recall if it’s been SMART from day one. A two-hour heavy downpour in downtown KL is enough to bring the entire city to gridlock.
A corrupt and inefficient Public Service — Do I need to elaborate further?
We are ranked 45th on the Global Cities Competitiveness Report and 60th on the Worldwide Corruption Perceptions index. The Little Red Dot by comparison ranked third and fifth place respectively.
The list goes on but my point here is stop giving us stupid answers.
By the way, some time back in January our PM boasted Malaysia has the “best package” as a country, just go here to read about it.
I am sad that even this is not helping Dr Ng promote the nation. Sigh!
#1 by yhsiew on Thursday, 15 March 2012 - 6:41 pm
It is annoying to see Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen put the blame on other Malaysians when her ministry failed to do the job.
#2 by Winston on Thursday, 15 March 2012 - 7:17 pm
Sacrifice her as well!
Like the cowwoman?
#3 by Winston on Thursday, 15 March 2012 - 7:21 pm
Seriously speaking, the very thought of PR taking
over Putrajaya is enough to make UMNO/BN ministers bonkers!
That’s why so many of them are in delirium!
Can’t blame them, their days of reckoning are getting closer and closer!!!
#4 by Godfather on Thursday, 15 March 2012 - 7:37 pm
Ng Yen Yen is not a winnable candidate and that fact alone is driving her bonkers. It must be galling to her that Najib sees Ong Tee Keat as a winnable candidate, but not this woman.
#5 by cemerlang on Thursday, 15 March 2012 - 7:53 pm
She is using that as a vendetta against you. Singapore is our neighbour and tourists rush to visit her. They could have easily cross the border and visit us for just a day and more when they see that it is not that bad. Or from Thailand as well. Kalimantan is different because it is jungle and understandably, the insecurity is there. Brunei is the same as us. But because of her financial status, there are many foreign expats there. But one of the big hurdles is because of our official religion. Thailand is Buddhist which goes for Singapore as well.
#6 by tak tahan on Thursday, 15 March 2012 - 7:58 pm
There are also other reasons why MM2H was a failure such as our infamous gangsters in blue uniform,kangaroo judges,macc’s top officers or killers and the worst our incompetent,unreliable,corrupted,racist plus very very stupid gomen-nasai-kaniasai!
#7 by Godfather on Thursday, 15 March 2012 - 8:02 pm
Another minister talking through his rear end in Raja Nong Chik who is ho-humming his way through his constituency with RM 1.5 billion pirated from the EPF. Santa Claus is coming to Wilayah.
#8 by Jeffrey on Thursday, 15 March 2012 - 8:51 pm
If the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme were not as successful or popular as our Tourism Minister would wish it, I don’t think it is because of foreign perception of high crime rate or Bersih’s street demonstrations. MM2H is not bad at all for foreigners. I won’t go into the reasons here. It is likely not as successful because the Tourism Ministry has not been doing a good promotional/marketing job out of it. Even locals, let alone foreigners, are not very aware of what are the pre-qualifications, how to apply, where to get the application forms, to whom to apply and how long it would take and what are the benefits incidental to 2nd Home Ownership being granted. Local press and media may inform about MM2H but they seldom address and inform on these questions raised. I may be wrong but I doubt that there is extensive promotion of this programme overseas where the target market is, when it is not even promoted aggressively here on home ground.
#9 by Bigjoe on Thursday, 15 March 2012 - 9:27 pm
Seriously when you hear some of these minister talk, its like listening to some neigbourhood market Uncle and Auntie or Pakcik and Makcik speaking. The reasoning are so superficial, its embarassing to their children when they discuss serious issues. It sound more like brainless gossiping/chattering while they are multitasking over the kitchen duties.
Honestly in few other countries today, even developing countries we have such low-brow public reasoning – they don’t feel embarass at all that even children can see through their answers are not even close..
#10 by Loh on Thursday, 15 March 2012 - 9:38 pm
///Today, we have our Tourism Minister saying foreigners are shunning the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme, because they do not perceive the country to be peaceful and stable. Bernama reported Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen blaming recent street demonstrations for hindering promotional efforts for MM2H.///–the author
She was definitely right in the reasons given as to why foreigners are shunning Malaysia because of concern for peace, stability and perhaps safety. But she had no balls to say that the police has failed in their duties to protect the people.
#11 by cseng on Thursday, 15 March 2012 - 10:09 pm
After decades of ‘media self control’ most ministers talk what they like.
Like the case of samseng Pahang towards the chinese press reporters. NUJ ask the samseng to apologies or officialy complaint to PM.
Ministers can say what they like, but reporter must filter what to publish. Why NUJ must officialy complaint to PM? Doesn’t the PM read news papers, does PM realy need NUJ official complaint to say no to samseng behaviour.
So, when ministers talk nonsense, it is time the curse of ‘media self control’ runs its course.
#12 by jus legitimum on Thursday, 15 March 2012 - 10:57 pm
This idiotic minister from the eunuch MCA talks rubbish again.There are many cities in England like London,Manchester,Burmingham where demonstrations and protests launched by the public are commonplace.Yet people all over the world including many Malaysians flock there to tour,study and some even settledown and live there.Foreigners shun this country mainly because of lack of safety and security,poor public transport,substandard education facilities and overemphasis on a certain religion.She is trying to evade the real cause of the failure of MM2H.
#13 by boh-liao on Friday, 16 March 2012 - 5:24 am
Y ppl want 2 bring big $$$ 2 settle down here? $$$ kena jiak by UmnoB/BN
A lot of $$$ siphoned off 2 foreign lands WITHOUT rakyat’s knowledge
At least rakyat knew some, like fr d ST in Sg:
“Shahrizat-linked supermart loses lease”
Dis COWcheat’s family has many companies in Sg: Meatworks, Senor Santos, Brawn D+P (all restaurants, S$450K), Global Biofuture (trading in food n fuel, S$200K), Icube Investments (Investment holding, S$1 million), Farmhouse Supermarkets (supermarkets n retail n wholesale trade, S$2 million)
All firms share a common registered address on d 24th floor of d 29-storey Clifford Centre in Raffles Place (Really high living)
WHAT abt families of other ministers n UmnoB kaki2?
#14 by undertaker888 on Friday, 16 March 2012 - 7:38 am
Another MCA beetch talking nonsense just like Juicy Ooi. She is busy promoting other countries rather than this country. Look at all her oversea trips at our expenses. I am sure she has her second home in other countries.
The only tourists she managed to attract are pedophiles, sex maniac types.
#15 by dagen wanna "ABU" on Friday, 16 March 2012 - 9:08 am
Yen2 is not a winnable candidate. That we all know. In fact no one in mca is winnable. But what can jib do? Open the back door wider, I suppose. He has no alternatives. Otherwise BN would lose its significance, which is to be a multiracial political front.
This winnable candidate idea is bugging jib from all sides. Inside umno, everyone wants to be recognised as winnable – making incumbent umno MPs terribly uneasy and for some extremely terrified. In contrast, outside umno like in mca and mic etc, rejected candidates are made ministers. How nice. How very privileged.
So umno you fight for you rambutan yeah. I pegi pancing ikan. Kalah pun apa. Tak kena elected – no problem. Sebab I ada pintu belakang. Only one requirement. Kulit mesti cukup tebal. Tu senang. Ada chance dapat kontrak kerajaan kulit pasti otomatik jadi tebal. Itu tentu punya! Macam day follow night.
#16 by mickeytiger2006 on Friday, 16 March 2012 - 9:14 am
Who wants to stay in the world most racial country? I prefer S Africa.
#17 by SENGLANG on Friday, 16 March 2012 - 10:59 am
This ministry has been headed by incompetent people for many many years. The previous minister was a corrupted and now we have another who is prefer to visit Australia rather her own country.
Both ministers did not have nice comments from the Sun’ journalist Mr. Nades. In fact Mr. Nades has many questions for them but none dare to reply.
It was easy to give an excuse for the ministry poor showing. Worst millions have been spent on the promotion events overseas. These event only benefits those who have been with the contingent. They are more keen on visiting other countries then promoting their own.
When ever those ministers take their annual leaves all of them go overseas. They should visit places in Malaysia that they want to promote and see for them selves how to improve them rather than going overseas.
#18 by Jeffrey on Friday, 16 March 2012 - 5:37 pm
The MM2H programme advertises tax free car incentive: If I as foreigner can buy a BMW minus RM100 tax / tariff it is an incentive but MM2H programme makes no sense to require foreigner to pay the same tax years later when he sells the car after it has depreciated in price. What tax incentive? Its just deferred tax and one feels the pinch most when one has to pay it when one sells it years later after it has depreciated in market value. Thats why not enought thought put into the nitty gritty incentives that are supposed to accrue under programme. Rhis one aspect will highlight an illustration why its not popular.