Gov't: No problems with M'sia pavilion
Hazlan ZakariaPublished: Jun 30, 2010 12:33 PM | Updated: Jul 1, 2010 3:18 AM
The Tourism Ministry has denied opposition claims that the Malaysian pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo has failed to effectively portray the image of Malaysia and is riddled with defects.
The Tourism Ministry has denied opposition claims that the Malaysian pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo has failed to effectively portray the image of Malaysia and is riddled with defects.
Deputy Tourism Minister James Dawos Mamit said the pavilion has surpassed its role of portraying Malaysia as an attractive tourist destination, in reply to Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh) who visited the site and made several complaints on the building during her speech at the Dewan Rakyat today.
"It showcased the history, diverse cultures of Malaysians, our friendly attitude, courtesy and harmony under the 1Malaysia concept.
“The pavilion's concept featured the theme of refreshing lifestyle in a city in natural surrounding," said Mamit.
He argued that it is unfair for Kok (above, in pink) to compare the Malaysian pavilion with the other displays by other countries as the culture being portrayed is different from that of Malaysia.
"The pavilions of other countries are influenced by their respective tourism sectors. This made each pavilion different in the aspects of technology, lifestyle and their history," he said.
Poor gutters, not roof leaks
Mamit also disputed claims by Kok that there are serious defects with the pavilion.
Amongst others, Kok claimed that the Malaysian pavilion suffered from power-cuts, a leaking roof, poor food quality and was equipped with only one staircase, resulting in a bottleneck.
Mamit (right) said that there was no power-cuts as claimed, instead explaining that all pavilions suffered blackouts during the “live commissioning” period, during which all electrical equipment were being tested and adjusted.
"This is to ensure smooth running of the pavilions. The problems have already been dealt with and have not recurred until today," he said.
The deputy minister also explained that there is no leaking roof at the pavilion, conceding that there was an incident in which strong winds brought rain into the pavilion performance stage.
This, he explained, happened because the roof gutter could not cope with the huge volume of water during unusually heavy rain that day. He said the contractor has already rectified the problem.
Catering to local tastes
On complaints that there was only one staircase, Mamit said that this was not a problem because the World Expo Bureau security and technical team had approved of it.
“In addition, safety officers from the bureau which conduct daily inspections to the pavilion did not raise any issues with the single staircase," he said.
He adds that in the event of an emergency, the pavilion was equipped with two emergency staircases.
Mamit also denied allegations that the food quality was poor, adding that the ministry had vetted the caterers.
However, he admitted that there was a slight variation in the food served, compared to how they are served in Malaysia, in order to cater to the tastes of the locals.
Meanwhile, Mamit said that the contract for the construction of the pavilion was awarded through an open tender process, and that all defects have been rectified by the contractors.
After visiting the Malaysian pavilion, Kok claimed that it was riddled with problems and said there appears to be irregularities in the awarding of the contract to pharmaceutical company Venturepharm Asia Sdn Bhd.
Deputy Tourism Minister James Dawos Mamit said the pavilion has surpassed its role of portraying Malaysia as an attractive tourist destination, in reply to Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh) who visited the site and made several complaints on the building during her speech at the Dewan Rakyat today.
"It showcased the history, diverse cultures of Malaysians, our friendly attitude, courtesy and harmony under the 1Malaysia concept. “The pavilion's concept featured the theme of refreshing lifestyle in a city in natural surrounding," said Mamit.
He argued that it is unfair for Kok (above, in pink) to compare the Malaysian pavilion with the other displays by other countries as the culture being portrayed is different from that of Malaysia.
"The pavilions of other countries are influenced by their respective tourism sectors. This made each pavilion different in the aspects of technology, lifestyle and their history," he said.
Poor gutters, not roof leaks
Mamit also disputed claims by Kok that there are serious defects with the pavilion.
Amongst others, Kok claimed that the Malaysian pavilion suffered from power-cuts, a leaking roof, poor food quality and was equipped with only one staircase, resulting in a bottleneck.
Mamit (right) said that there was no power-cuts as claimed, instead explaining that all pavilions suffered blackouts during the “live commissioning” period, during which all electrical equipment were being tested and adjusted."This is to ensure smooth running of the pavilions. The problems have already been dealt with and have not recurred until today," he said.
The deputy minister also explained that there is no leaking roof at the pavilion, conceding that there was an incident in which strong winds brought rain into the pavilion performance stage.
This, he explained, happened because the roof gutter could not cope with the huge volume of water during unusually heavy rain that day. He said the contractor has already rectified the problem.
Catering to local tastes
On complaints that there was only one staircase, Mamit said that this was not a problem because the World Expo Bureau security and technical team had approved of it.
“In addition, safety officers from the bureau which conduct daily inspections to the pavilion did not raise any issues with the single staircase," he said. He adds that in the event of an emergency, the pavilion was equipped with two emergency staircases.
Mamit also denied allegations that the food quality was poor, adding that the ministry had vetted the caterers.
However, he admitted that there was a slight variation in the food served, compared to how they are served in Malaysia, in order to cater to the tastes of the locals.
Meanwhile, Mamit said that the contract for the construction of the pavilion was awarded through an open tender process, and that all defects have been rectified by the contractors.
After visiting the Malaysian pavilion, Kok claimed that it was riddled with problems and said there appears to be irregularities in the awarding of the contract to pharmaceutical company Venturepharm Asia Sdn Bhd.
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