Going abroad? Fill a form first

[silver_bird]

Going abroad? Fill a form first

Millions of Malaysians travel abroad and so the Tourism Ministry wants to know why they go overseas and what do they do there.

Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said " last year 15 million Malaysian travelled overseas and we want to know why they like to go out of the country. If it is for travelling and tourism purposes, we hope to encourage them to participate in domestic tourism,” So the Ministry has proposed that Malaysians fill in a special form when they leave the country.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp...920&sec=nation
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As long as it's not a law yet, we do not think it's necessary to fill in the form. With budget airlines around, overseas vacation is definately cheaper & interesting. Hotels & accomodation in Malaysia are still very expensive. A lot of Taxis still do not use Meter. The next proposal in the pipe-line, asking vehicle owners to fill a form requesting " Why Malaysia are not supporting & buying National car".

[birdy]

I don't see the need for it... in fact, on one hand, we are talking about protecting the environment, stop chopping down trees... on the other hand, they are creating forms to fill!

In order for them to obtain these information... they can request airlines to capture these data instead of having the people to fill up unnecessary forms. People are going to paperless technology but these politicians think we should go back to 'old age', using more paper and pens!

[Choon1980]

I don't see the need for it... in fact, on one hand, we are talking about protecting the environment, stop chopping down trees... on the other hand, they are creating forms to fill!

Not only that, didn't someone important say that it was important for our country to cut down red tape?

Unless he was misqouted lar!

[penangkia]

How many questions are they gonna to ask in that form? Imagine if you are a frequent traveller.

Another knee jerk idea.

I ain't gonna to fill in no forms unless it becomes law.

Why can't they just get some professionals to do a proper survey ? I don't mind answering some non personal questions if approached.

[geordie]

Let's say the form is in effect and I put in "going to Australia to view my new property in Perth". Would I then be subjected to another questionaire imposed by the Ministry of Housing as to why I have a property in Oz ??!!!!!

[smoothead]

The tourism minister is getting jealous 'cause more people are travelling abroad for their holidays than tourists coming in. Is he hinting that VMY2007 is a flop...?
In the first place, they themselves should be setting good examples by spending their leave in M'sia rather than we always hearing our leaders on holidays overseas.. So watch out now people, they are watching every move we make...next the IRB will be rubbing their hands in glee and will be asking, sooo....makan angin overseas arh ....??!!

[Choon1980]

The next proposal in the pipe-line, asking vehicle owners to fill a form requesting " Why Malaysia are not supporting & buying National car".

Or even better yet, asking citizens to fill a form to find out why they aren't filling forms when they go overseas.

[iml109]

If they do implement that I will ask them to clean up our local vacation spots first to ensure I would want to go there.

The last time I had my vacation locally (in Taiping) the forest reserve was filled with garbage to the brim.

How do u expect me to even want to go back there?

They should run a poll or an online survey, publish the website in the mass media and ppl who actually care about providing the infos can log on to submit the reasons WHY they go overseas.

Mine? Shopping is cheaper over there than here.

[SunwayKid]

First, they say a form is required. Now, employ someone to design the form. Then a contract to supply the form is given. Now, we need to employ people to input the form. Oh, we need equipment for that. Another contract. Hold on, we need analyst as well - otherwise data captured no use. If we have operators and analyst, we need a Director-General to manage them.

Exit points - must have people to assist rakyat who don't know how to fill. Someone need to collate these and send to HQ. One more contract. These people need to be supervised -more employees.

Finally, after 1 year of collation, it was found that the gormen can't conclude anything from the data and it cost the taxpayers RM1000 to capture each form. Need to cut down expenditure - gormen decide to discontinue the form filling exercise. All others remain intact. Brilliant and wonderful isn't it - Bolehland truly boleh.

[Dr. J George]

We released this press statement this morning.

Press Release: 23 April 2007

CONSUMER GROUP CLAIMS TOURISM MINISTER’S STATEMENT AN INFRINGEMENT OF PEOPLE’S PRIVACY!

The Consumers Association of Subang and Shah Alam, Selangor (CASSA) is shocked at the statement by the Tourism Minister in an English tabloid that Malaysians traveling abroad speculated to be around 15 million must now fill a form to cite why they go overseas and what they do there before traveling.

While many nations in this region and the Asia Pacific Zone are moving forward in a proactive manner, removing hurdles that impede or discomfort travelers, taking into cognizance and account public interest, the need for privacy and with a common segregation of what is personal, private and of national interest, Malaysia through the comments of the tourism minister are doing just the opposite!

What is also absurd is that this ‘ministerial statement’ comes without any form of discussions or feedbacks from the civil society or the stakeholders!

By his own statement the minister states that he is interested to know details on traveler’s activities whether for business, pleasure, study, visitation of relatives or other reasons!

Is this not a violation by all international and humane standards of one’s privacy?

Honestly, is it any business of the ministers to know what travellers do while abroad as long as they do not break any laws of the country they visit and bring shame to Malaysia like many of our politically connected companies and their management who are alleged to have done in the recent past in Papua New Guinea, Myanmar, South Africa, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, West Asia and several former states of Russian Republic, to cite a few?

CASSA is not against any ‘feedbacks form’ to receive voluntary feedbacks by all means, which may help the tourism ministry to evaluate how we compare with other nations on the quality of services offered, costs and other comparative observations!

A form that will look objectively at the high costs of local hotel accommodation, the alleged cheating and short selling, the misrepresentation by those involved in the industry on unsuspecting local and foreign tourists!

The Tourism ministry then can shown its sincerity by taking immediate action to right the wrongs and publish them so that those who provide the information will feel their comments were taken seriously through the proactive changes undertaken and punishment meted out to those who cheat tourists!

But, the ministry should refrain from making statements that brings ridicule, questions our intelligence and competence in the global village!

CASSA hopes in future there would be caution, a comprehensive study and discussions with all stakeholders initiated prior to such controversial statements.

Dr Jacob George

President

[USJ27Resident]

CONSUMER GROUP CLAIMS TOURISM MINISTER’S STATEMENT AN INFRINGEMENT OF PEOPLE’S PRIVACY!

Since when did the authorities ever respected people's privacy... These nincompoops keep coming up with hare-brained rulings in which the PM will then have to step in and "tell" them to stop it...

We've have had JAWI, JAIS,other religious bodies and Mat Skodengs and whatnots infringing people's privacy every other day ~ we even have RELA people barging into people's houses on pretext of searching for illegals... ( which in my opinion, is something the Immigration fellas are suppose to be doing... but NOT ) so in short - what's new? The tourism fellas now wanna know where and WHY we are leaving the country???

Hello.... by filling up forms, the Tourism Ministry has just blasted the Immigration "smart passport" system back to the stone age... STUPID!

Come to think of it ~ isn't this the same so called minister that called female bloggers liars and whatnots... Mebbe he has been sitting on his fat backside for far too long... No wonder VMY'2007 is going down the drain

[Dr. J George]

actually you are very right! A classic case of doing things without checking with other organs of the govt machinery!
As we say - "kerja si-bodoh!"

[orchipalar]

Come to think of it ~ isn't this the same so called minister that called female bloggers liars and whatnots... Mebbe he has been sitting on his fat backside for far too long... No wonder VMY'2007 is going down the drain

Err buddies...what do you mean? thought it has been rotting in the sewer for donkey of years since...

Just observe the airports/border crossings/tourist spots/hotel occupancy/shopping malls/restaurants/recreational facility/resorts n KLCC which used to be the tallest NOTHING!...the streets n country roads...look into buses/taxis...n look around you...WHERE ARE THE TOURISTS...!?

[kwchang]

a small aside ... they announced in the news tonight that they intend to extend the VMY another year !!
Obviously they realised that they were not ready !!

[kensu]

What's new ?

15 million forms ! how many more trees ?

tsk tsk..