Demotion of ex-Tourism Malaysia DG nothing to do with racism: source

DEMOTIONS in the public sector are not a new thing and something commonly done if the appointed individual fails to achieve the organisation’s set targets.

Given this, the recent incident involving the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (Motac) should not be sensationalised merely to stir emotions.

Speaking to Getaran, The Vibes’ Bahasa Malaysia sister portal, a ministry source said the action against former Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Ammar Abd Ghapar was based on strong facts.

The source said the action taken was not something done recklessly and certainly nothing to do with racism as alleged by certain quarters.

“You must understand the reasons for the demotion. Our minister (Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing) is not racist, nor does he want to bring in ‘his camp’.

“Those in Motac are familiar with Ammar’s performance ... he should not play victim,” said the source.

The source said Tiong is noted as a firm minister in steering Motac to ensure it successfully meets all targets, especially since tourism is a major contributor to the national economy.

“Tiong is not someone who is afraid to speak up if there is something wrong.

“Some have questioned the move to attract more tourists from China. Why not? Do they have any idea how many million Chinese tourists visit Malaysia every year?

“Their presence here contributes greatly to the national economy. Yes, we know there are loopholes which need to be fixed and that is what the minister and his team are working on,” added the source.

The source revealed that Ammar could actually be subject to disciplinary action based on some inappropriate statements he made.

“Why did he say he was fired when he was clearly demoted? Why make matters worse?

“Ammar clearly knows why action was taken against him. He should just admit it and come clean,” said the source.

The source stressed that Ammar’s demotion was not motivated by any other factors, especially racism, and was purely a professional decision which was warranted.

Tiong had earlier said that the decision to demote Ammar was due to his declining performance, which was described as unsatisfactory, despite being advised several times to improve.

Tiong said one of the reasons for the action was that Ammar was not engaging with industry players.

Long-serving Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board (Tourism Malaysia) senior executive Manoharan Periasamy has since been named as the board’s new director-general, replacing Ammar. – The Vibes, February 27, 2024