Overseas Posting of TM Officers
The usual practice for overseas posting for all government servants is for a maximum period of 3 – 4 years at most. Wisma Putra practices this too. However, this practice is not applicable to the little napoleons in Tourism Malaysia (TM).
To digress a little, TM is a fiefdom to the little napoleons. They are the laws to themselves. For the past few years until now TM has been operating in deficit with impunity. This in unheard of. It is business as usual for them. They are the laws to themselves.
These little napoleons are so good with creative accounting that even the Auditor-General Department had been fooled time and time again. As far as they are concerned Rules or Regulations are for decoration purposes only. As we can see the little napoleons wearing BN uniforms and openly campaigning for BN during the last GE when they knew or ought to have known that they are prohibited from taking part in political activities, HERE.
There was a case where one of the little napoleon had signed a contract with a non-existent “company” with impunity and yet he was subsequently rewarded with promotion to JUSA C. Soon after he was promoted to be a Deputy Director General! This matter will be discussed (if necessary yours truly will name him) with other questionable transactions in the next posting (Part – 3).
If the overseas directors (OD) are cronies of the Director General, Yg Bhg Datuk Seri Mirza Mohamad Taiyap or one of the little napoleon or with very “SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS” the 3-4 years limitation will not be applicable.
The Costs For Maintaining The Overseas Directors Are Very High
Huge sum of Rakyat money has been used for posting of OD. Currently there are two ODs for every overseas stations of TM. The Rakyat has to pay for all costs of educations for all their children in the international schools, which TM should do. The cost of education for the children alone will be a few hundred thousands Ringgit a year for each child without taking into account the cost of accommodation and other allowances, which would be another few hundred thousands Ringgit a year for each director yearly. The total cost for this expenses will be very huge.
There is no need for two ODs in each station. We only need one director for each station because there are more than enough local full time members of staff to do the work in. On top of that these little napoleons have devised a scheme to employ PR agencies to do their so-called PR works.
In one case in Shanghai station, Tuan Effendy Mat Yaman, the then OD and current director for South East Promotion Division, had signed a contract to pay a company known as Dragon Trail RM150,000.00 a year just to update the ShanghaI station’s website, which could easily be done by one of its local staff. Yours truly believes that the then OD was instructed by the little napoleons to sign the contract because ODs have no authority to commit TM for such a big amount. Luckily upon discovery of this matter, the current OD refused to renew it a year or so ago otherwise a few more hundred of thousands of Ringgit will be down the drain again.
We need only one director to supervise the activities of each and every overseas stations and attend all functions.
This limitation of a duration of 3-4 years for overseas posting is to ensure that all qualified officers in the government department be given the golden opportunity to learn new things and experience life overseas. In TM most of the overseas postings, are to reward the cronies of the little napoleons. Hence, it was administered arbitrarily and more importantly UNFAIRLY. Therefore, PH Government must closely examine this.
Irregular Overseas Posting & Cross Posting of TM Officers
Many favored OD or cronies remained in their overseas stations for more than 5 years and thereafter be rewarded with cross postings. One of them had remained in the station for 14 years! Below are a few glaring examples:
Paris station
Tuan Abdul Rahim bin Haron has been stationed in Paris for more than 5 years until now. Is he being kept there for” special assignment” by a powerful personality to “babysit” …? Yours truly has been told that this “special assignment” was already over a year ago. Unless there is another “babysitting” assignment, which we don’t know, he should be recalled back to TM HQ forthwith.
Moscow Station
Puan Norzulia bt Mohammad, who was Grade 48, when she was posted to Moscow station. Moscow station has been classified for Grade 48 officer. It is a practice of TM that OD upon attainment of a higher Grade will be transferred back to HQ. She was promoted with lightning speed to Grade 54 based on her performance or “special relationship” with …? God knows which is which! She has been in Moscow for the past 4 years until now.
Amsterdam Station
Puan Zuraini bt Abdul Ghani has been the OD in Amsterdam Station for more than 5 years and still there until today. She must be either a “protected specie” or the crony of one of the little napoleons on special “babysitting” assignment.
Mumbai, India
Tuan Manoharan a/l Periasamy was the previous OD in Mumbai. He was able to remain there for more than 14 years! Another officer had been given a letter of offer to go to Mumbai on several occasions and the said offers were cancelled without valid reason. Of course, he was finally transferred back to HQ about 2 years ago. Now he is the Director of Package Development.
Bangkok Station
Puan Mazreena bt Mohd Yusof is the deputy OD in Bangkok. She is the one to watch – it is about her career and nothing else. Please don’t speculate lah! She is the rising “star” in TM. She was posted to Singapore station for a few years. She returned to HQ for a very short period and was posted to Bangkok. She is in Bangkok for the last 3 years. Rummour has it that certain moves have been made by one of the little napoleons to recall Tuan Abdul Haris Hadi, this rising star’s superior to HQ. Thereafter, she will be promoted to be the head of Bangkok station. Now that BN had lost in the 14 GE, this manoeuvre may have to be shelved temporarily. It seems that her role is the reverse to the ODs in Paris. She is being “babysit“! How lucky!
Nepotism
Puan Nurushama bt Abdul Hanan is the niece of Yg Bhg Datuk Seri Mirza Mohamad Taiyap. DG of TM. She is very junior in her department in TM and yet she was specially selected to be the deputy OD in Delhi.
Tuan Mirza Mohd Ghalib Beg bin Mirza Mohd Tahir Beg is the nephew of Yg Bhg Datuk Mirza Seri Mohamad Taiyap, the DG of TM. He has been given the letter of offer to be posted to the Frankfurt station in June/July 2018.
Cross Posting
Cross posting has been discouraged in all ministries but not in TM. The same principle as normal overseas posting applied i.e. not to deprive other officers the opportunity of going overseas for their career enhancement.
Tuan Suleiman bin Suib was the OD in the Bangkok office for more than 2 years. In 2016 he was promoted to Grade 52 and subsequently cross posted to Delhi until now. He has been in Delhi for about 2 years plus until now. A total posting period of more than 4 years.
Tuan Mat Esa was in Jakarta station for 2 years plus. Suddenly TM received special instructions from the “sky” to transfer Tuan Roslan Othman just because he wanted to be stationed in Jakarta office. Since the instructions was from the “sky” so Tuan Roslan Othman was transferred to Jakarta until now. Tuan Mat Esa was cross posted to Sydney. He remains in Sydney until now. By the way this super Tuan Roslan Othman was previously posted to Jakarta. This is his second posting to Jakarta. Most probably he loves the “Nasi Padang” , which is very tasty! He is still in Jakarta enjoying his “Nasi Padang” until today.
The Glaring Cross Posting
Tuan Sollehuddin bin Ahmad is one of the glaring example. When he was in the TM HQ, he was stationed in the Admin Department and part of his duties was to handle posting of overseas director. He has no marketing experience. He was a deputy OD in Tokyo station from July 2011. In February 2017 he was cross posted to Osaka as the OD until now. On 20 February 2018, out of a sudden Yg Bhg Datuk Seri Mirza Mohammad Taiyap, the DG of TM, awarded him with a cross posting back Tokyo with effect from 2 July 2018. He is a “super hero” in TM!
Rummor has it that this Tuan Sallehuddin bin Ahmad is an “expert” in taxi wrapping advertising and other forms of advertising in Japan.
Until July 2018 Tuan Sollehuddin has been in Japan for 6 years. God knows for how many more years he will remain there for “Special Assignments”? If the little Napoleon has his way, he will be kept there forever to look after … This is an unfair as it will deprive other qualified officers of the opportunities.
Tuan Noor Azlan Abu Bakar is the OD for Tokyo station since 2009 (more than 8 years). Rumours has it that of late he has acquired special expertise in taxi wrapping and other forms of advertising in Japan.
Due to both Tuan Sollehuddin bin Ahmad and his expertise in taxi wrapping and other forms of advertising in Japan, the Japanese tourists to Malaysia have increased by more than 10 folds! Of course, this cannot be verified lah.
The list of irregular posting and cross posting is endless. The majority of cases are based on cronyism or nepotism or special “babysitting” assignments and/or political connections.
Conclusion
TM has a workforce of about 700 in the HQ. To say that none of the 700 are qualified to fill those outstation posts stated above will make TM a laughing stock. The above clearly show the systemic abuse of power, nepotism and cronyism at its worst.
This unfair practices cannot be allowed to go on any longer. PH Government must investigate into these practices as they are unfair to other qualified officers and more importantly such practices will be no good for the morale of the workforce in TM. As for now, PH Government should freeze all decisions made, including payments to be made, after the 14th GE until a new Minister is appointed. Thereafter, actions must be taken against the little napoleon for their misconducts.
Next Change / Akan Datang – Part 3 Tourism Malaysia & PR1MA.
Stay Tuned.
