Azalina, the new tourism goddess

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said all tourism memorandums of understanding with Opposition-ruled state governments will be terminated given the change in leadership.

She said this was in line with the termination of Tourism Action Councils in the states which were previously chaired by Barisan Nasional’s state executive councillors in charge of tourism in each state.

“Normally, the council works together with the state executive council and local authorities.

“But now that the leadership in the state governments have changed, we have to terminate the MoUs and the councils,” she told a post-Cabinet press briefing yesterday.

Perak, Penang, Selangor and Kedah fell to the Opposition in last month's general election.

But there is no total boycott in tourism. We have to play it by ear and see what these state governments do,” she added.

Source: TheStar Online: Azalina: Tourism MoUs with Opposition-ruled states to be terminated

Azalina is trying to act and portray herself as if she is the goddess of fortune who is splashing out her personal wealth for tourism promotion events. She had not realized, even though she is an intellectual (maybe she is no more an intellectual), that the monies spent by her Tourism Ministry are Federal funds which comes from taxpayers money which include the people from Penang, Kedah, Perak, Selangor and Kelantan.

Whoever is chosen by the citizens to rule a state is not for her to question and dictate, as this is the constitutional rights of citizens to choose whoever the citizens want to be their elected representative in parliament or state assemblies, and which ever political party that comes to power and rule a state or control the Federal govt as a result of the general election mandate is stipulated in our Federal Constitutional and not up to Azalina's discretion. Ministers and Federal government officers are reminded that they are bound to act and manage the national economics and development programmes to benefit all the citizens of the nation, not just supporters of Barisan Nasional and Umno members.

I hope Azalina understands that she has a fiduciary duty as a minister to act and perform her duty to benefit all Malaysian citizens, not just herself, her family and her party. Do not treat us citizens as fools and herself speaks like a fool. She had acted as if she is commanding fools, and believed that fools can be intimidated by her whims and fancies.

Folly is worthless and that persecution is abominable. If the citizens can vote out BN in the 5 states, the citizens are also capable to vote out BN from the Federal government. Let Barisan Nasional ministers be reminded that the Federal government monies are not their grandfathers personal fortune and she is utilizing her personal wealth and giving charity. The law dictates thatall ministers and government officers had to act judiciously and fairly and in accordance with the rule of law and the rule of natural justice.