Tourists do not and will not want to come to Malaysia.

A common misconception, is that “...if the Ad looks good, the customers will come.” A bigger error is, “...if the product is good, then no ads are even necessary. At best, maybe a lousy looking one.”

Well, Puan Minister of Tourism, Ads alone do not guarantee Visitors. Worse, if previous Ministers have yet to resolve “Vaporised Funds”, or “Proxy Korean Companies”, which seems to defy accountability or investigation.

You said, “Something must be terribly wrong if Malaysia, which is among the cheapest tourists destinations in the world, sees a drastic fall in tourist arrivals.” Well, you mean you don't know what's happening? Don't you read the Newspapers? Tourists are just afraid of Burning Churches, or being hit by flying Pig Heads. Maybe they are afraid of the khalwat-team knocking on their doors while they are bonking their spouse, or accidentally being caned for drinking Beer. What if they accidentally mentioned the word “Allah”? Would they fly out of the 14th floor? Mongolians certainly won't be visiting Malaysia, no matter if it even becomes the TOP country Destination in the world!! And death by Jellyfish is a very valid reason. How about Malaysia being ranked very low because of “Political instability”?

Thailand is much, much cheaper than Malaysia. But who on earth would dream of visiting it now? I dare you to wear a red T-Shirt in Bangkok. Even better, I dare you to wear a Yellow T-shirt, and walk around Bangkok, with or without your bodyguards. So, would you go to Bangkok if Hotels only cost US$1? You see, cheap is not everything.
So, where does that leave Malaysia? It is less Exotic than Thailand, more expensive than Indonesia, and less advanced than Singapore.

Puan Minister. You want the truth? Can you handle the truth?

As a Westerner, this is what I want to see (and have visited)

http://filer.livinginperu.com/isabel/machu_picchu5.jpg



http://travelswithmycamera.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/angkor_wat.jpg



http://blog.ratestogo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/venice-5-mins-later.jpg



http://www.ouchh.com/KrystalWorld/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/jellyfish.jpg



http://www.onlinetravelvietnam.com/uploads/Image/Halong_Bay.bmp



http://www.stanford.edu/group/ccr/blog/egypt.jpg



http://www.carboncommentary.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Maldives2.jpg



http://conradhotels1.hilton.com/ts/en/hotels/MLEHICI/media/images/photos/MLEHICI_Conrad_Maldives_restaurant_ithaa.jpg



http://kerinburford.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/2.jpg



http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/photo/2008/12/08/PH2008120802446.jpg



http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/images/ga/china_great-wall-jinshanling.jpg



http://science.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/Science/Images/Content/endless-grand-canyon-651123-ga.jpg



http://www.kateschelter.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/bagan-myanmar-burma-buddhism-ballooning-David-Haberlah1.jpg



http://www.kateschelter.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Calle-Brasil-Habana-Vieja-by-Jim-Skea-.jpg

You see, Puan Minister, in the global Arena, there is no Ketuanan. Ketuanan is really useless when Malaysia is compared to all these other destinations. You want something which no one else has?

Here, go promote Lembah Bujang. Tell the entire world that all the great temples of Borobudor, and Angkor had their roots in Malaysia. Here's the Timeline, in case you don't know:

2nd Century Lembah Bujang, Malaysia

2nd Century My Son, Vietnam

6th Century Borobudor, Indonesia

8th Century Angkor Watt

Ketuanan India had already arrived in Malaysia, and set up shop since the 2nd Century. Why aren't they Bumiputras? In the same breath, why aren't the Babas and Nyonyas Bumiputra? When UMNO stops masturbating their Ketuanan, Malaysia might have some hope to bring in some real tourists. But until then ....

15/04/10