Familiar tune greeting VMY 2007
Brand new year, same ol' tune.
From theSUN (page 2 today):-
Hop-on-hop-off snags will be ironed out: Lim
KUALA LUMPUR: Though embarrassed that a new tourism product suffered glitches on the first day of Visit Malaysia Year 2007, Deputy Tourism Minister, Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai remained confident that the shortcomings associated with the hop-on-hop-off tour bus service will be ironed out.
As with any new services, such problems are bound to arise during the trial period, he told theSUN yesterday.
He said the service was operated by a private company, Elang Wah Sdn Bhd, and not linked to any government tourism agencies.
However, Lim said that since the service was part of the nation's tourism industry, the ministry will step in to ensure that such shortcomings will not recur.
He was commenting on a news report that tourists were disappointed that there was no on-board commentary on tourist attractions along the route, and were instead shown tourism advertisements on monitors placed in the double-decker bus.
... The hop-on-hop-off service, which will be launched on Saturday, will allow tourists to tour the city from a semi-glass roof double-decker bus service. ...
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It is interesting to note that the honourable minister took great pains to state the fact that the bus service that left tourists hopping mad is "not linked to any government tourism agencies."
What this is supposed to mean is left to the imagination of the readers.
But the standard refrain is such a familiar tune, a comforting reminder that things are almost back to the same ol' routine right at the start of the new year.
I'd expect that the launching ceremony on Saturday will be done in usual great fanfare after which we can all expect the service to go down the same route as all other great ideas conceived in Bolehland.
Am I being too cynical? Well ... yes. But I'd like to be proven wrong this time.
I'd wager a RM1000 donation to a charitable organisation of my readers' choice if this hop-on-hop-off service proved to be a huge success by the end of VMY2007 and remain a welcomed feature of KL beyond 2007.
Is that a fair bargain?
Labels: Local governance
posted by Arena Green at 8:00 am
5 Comments:
I was actually wondering if Malaysia would adapt to this hop on and off thing, which is actually very popular in Europe? But have they heard of such a thing called 'traffic jam'? It should be 'hop on and stay there' instead. I bet they could reach the next destination quicker on foot.
p.s. Nice to see you actively blogging again. Keep it up!
I don't think this HOHO thingy will be a success...It would be a success if they can reduce traffic jams by half and get rid of rogue cabbies. But anyway, despite all this, I am still gung-ho about VMY2007 :)
Mari! Mari! Mari!
Glad to see you back. :-)
I sincerely hope this hop on and off thingy works.
Ah Moi,
It can succeed provided the implementors make sure that they don't kacau-kacau and cari-makan. The main problem in business is that the rules changes so arbitrarily and the executives had such wide discretionary power to create any rules, regulations, increase in fees, require licences, make new policies, all to the detriments of the investors. At the same time, there are UMNO politicians who wants something to makan, and they will create rhetorics such as bumi issues, Malay agenda, NEP, just to get something, some upfront monies. Then there is Majlis, State Exco, police, Health authorities, and many other govt depts who also wants something by causing furores and putting spanners around to make things difficult, again, for kopi duit.
If we had a clean govt and enforcers, any business can succeed.
I think Mave has hit the nail right on the head!
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