KUALA LUMPUR – Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has defended the decision to allow the private sector to organise the gala dinner during the Global Travel Meet, saying it was a practical move that helped reduce government expenditure.
“At the beginning, yes, we were the main organiser and took the lead in promoting the event. But as I mentioned yesterday, industry players and private sector participants soon realised they could actually secure substantial business deals during the Global Travel Meet,” he explained.
“Recognising this opportunity, they voluntarily offered to take over and host the gala dinner themselves,” he said in a statement today.
According to Tiong, the move turned out to be beneficial, as both international buyers and local purchasers began securing travel packages in large quantities, with total business transactions reaching RM420 million.
He said the Director-General of Tourism Malaysia had sought his approval for the change, and he agreed without hesitation as it meant significant savings for the government.
“I agreed because it helped save government expenditure. I don’t see anything wrong with that,” he said.
Tiong added that when industry players expressed their interest in hosting the dinner, the ministry welcomed the initiative.
“When they said they wanted to host the event, we told them, ‘We’re honoured! Please, go ahead and take the lead.’ If they were willing to bear the costs and help ease the government’s financial burden, why shouldn’t we support that?” he said. -MalayaDailyToday
