Know visitors’ wants

TS,Wednesday 6 June 2012

I refer to “Raub to become a tourism hub” (The Star, June 4) and wish to share some of my views. Malaysia is currently getting a monthly average of RM5bil in tourism receipts from two million foreign visitors.

The target is to boost the figures to RM14bil and three million, respectively, by 2020.

This can be easily achieved if all those involved in inbound tourism know exactly what foreign visitors require and cater to their needs.

As such, interviews should be conducted at all major exit points to gather essential details from tourists such as their travel arrangements, expectations, experiences, and motivation for their return visits.

These exercises should be carried out on a weekly basis, if not daily, and the results promptly released to interested stakeholders. The intelligence would allow many of the 3,200 licensed tour and travel agents to be more proactive.

The Tourism Ministry has previously disclosed that there were 111.5 million domestic tourists and RM34.7bil in revenue. Again, more enlightening details are needed for those involved to take better advantage of this sector.

In the absence of any official figures, it is anyone’s guess whether the expenditure for outbound tours and travel is higher than both the receipts for inbound and domestic tourism combined.

Tourism is also a two-way trade. Many Malaysians travelling overseas would be proud to be appointed Tourism Ambassadors after a full day seminar empowering them to personally invite foreigners they meet to visit our country or even their hometowns.

With good marketing, any spot on earth, however desolate, can be turned into a tourist attraction and these include barren deserts or deep jungles.

It is actually not difficult to attract both foreign and domestic tourists to visit any village or town in Malaysia, and only minimal expenditure is needed on basic government infrastructure and private sector investment.

A must-have is a tourist centre that houses all the local produce a village or town can offer and this includes all the great food, fruits, vegetables, handicraft, traditions and cultures that tourists can experience or buy without having to search all over the place.

Anything that is produced elsewhere, particularly from overseas, should not be allowed on sale in such local tourist centres. In fact, the whole village or town should remain authentic and retain its unique charm which will be lost once it turns too touristy.

To accommodate overnight visitors, any shop house in town can easily be converted into a cheap but comfortable budget hotel. A village house with a spacious compound can be a great setting for a home stay programme.

However, the challenges are for the locals to clean up their act, realise the enormous benefits of tourism and welcome visitors like family. Any village or town is like a heaven on earth to me if it is kept very clean and colourful. 

Cleanliness includes the environment, rivers, drains, roadsides, streets, buildings and people, and ensuring the toilets are not horror chambers.

Painting the whole town in strong colours is not only artificial but also grotesque. Colours should be natural, from flowering plants or colourful leaves and fruits.

The most beautiful village in my mind is one with flowers blooming on both sides of the kampong road stretching for miles interspersed with ripe rambutan fruits hanging heavily on the branches.

It would be a jogger’s paradise especially at dawn and there are no dogs in a kampong to bother passersby.

What the locals can do is literally put their act together by roping in all their resources and share with visitors, beginning with the history of their settlement, their present livelihood and the vision they have for their descendants.

Their economic activities, local traditions and cultural practices can be fascinating to tourists, and more so if they get to participate instead of just watching or treating the locals as human specimens.

A great example is for foreigners to celebrate their wedding anniversary by going through a bersanding ceremony blessed by their children and relatives.

The invited guests may also wish to pick up some local dances and silat moves to perform rather than just watch the locals go through the motions.

Embracing tourism and welcoming visitors is the best way to revive or develop local cultures and traditions. New cottage industries can easily be introduced.

For example, there is no shortage of hard stones in any village. They can easily be polished and lacquered to look like shiny semi-precious stones or paperweights and sold as souvenirs at affordable prices.

Even the most barren village or town devoid of any natural resources or human capital can attract visitors if the locals are humble and willing to learn from others.

All they need to do is ask and provide basic facilities to visitors to make them feel welcome. Many volunteers find fulfillment in teaching the young and training the adults who try to excel.

Over the centuries, great civilizations were built through exchanges between locals and visitors. In this era, a town or village will remain in the backwaters if it continues to shun tourism.

Backpackers should be particularly welcomed as they go through their “University of Life”. Some of them may return to our country as CEOs of giant corporations and invest in a village or town where they were treated with respect or touched by genuine hospitality.

The success of the Raub Integrated Tourism Blueprint can ripple across the nation as it can be used as a template to replicate the efforts in many other districts.

Tourism can quickly grow to become our largest and leading industry if it is fully exploited and embraced by our citizens.

YS Chan

Kuala Lumpur

Train tour van drivers, too

TS,Wednesday 30 May 2012

The Tourism Ministry ought to be congratulated for introducing training programmes for taxi drivers. Up to 4,000 cabbies in the Klang Valley are to be trained as Taxi Ambassadors. Taxi drivers in other areas are to be given training to offer sightseeing services in their districts.

However, the training programmes for drivers by the Tourism Ministry have missed out the tour van drivers.

Every day, thousands of these drivers meet up with large numbers of tourists to provide a wide range of services that include airport transfers, city sightseeing, overland transfers to mountain and beach resorts or to other attractions and cities.

Yet others drive tour cars owned by tour and car rental companies, and these vehicles are licensed under Limousine Taxi or Hire and Drive. Luxury limousines based at 5-star hotels are operated by appointed concessionaires.

Most tour van/car drivers have not undergone proper job training. Those who learnt on the job and have gained some experience also need to be formally trained.

Training is effective when drivers participate actively in workshops. It will be like water off a duck’s back if they are made to listen passively to lectures in seminars.

Unlike cabbies that have to cruise or wait for passengers, tour van/car drivers are given assignments by tour companies.

As such, they take instructions and are given a list of dos and don’ts. They are also provided with other information and may be kept abreast of developments.

Most people are not aware that drivers are among the most difficult groups of people to manage. Many do not follow instructions or provide good service consistently and tend to slack.

Through proper guidance, they can be made to realise that driving is not necessarily a dead-end job. Some of them have progressed to operate their own companies or manage for others.

They should be given opportunities to undergo personal and professional developments to discover their true potential. They would be more courteous and knowledgeable after training.

Their performance can be affected by other factors such as procedures set by tour companies, expectations of customers, instructions by superiors, enforcement by authorities and facilities at airports, hotels and places of interests.

Training workshops for these drivers should also be participated by their superiors or trainers and officials from the Tourism Ministry, Land Public Transport Commission, Road Transport Department and other authorities.

This will enable the participants to better recognise the important roles everyone has to play and appreciate the challenges faced by the various quarters.

Most tour van/car drivers have interesting stories to share. Those that did not engage with their passengers have allowed opportunities to slip by without even knowing.

In 2000, I drove a Saudi Air Force colonel and his family for several days and was overwhelmed by his courtesy and exemplary behavior of his family. He would get my nomination should aliens from outer space need a person to represent the human race.

I persuaded him to visit a world class pewter factory so that I could buy an ashtray as present. Luckily, a craftswoman was able to do the engraving on the spot.

As my budget was limited, I had to settle for a small ashtray and shortened my message to “Colonel Abdul Hameed, an Officer and a Gentleman”.

Just as he was ready to leave the pewter factory after shopping, I passed a gift wrapped box to him and said with a smile, “From Malaysia”. To my embarrassment, the next day, he presented me a gold watch and perfume for my wife.

A tour van driver who participated in a training workshop on courtesy shared that he had provided great service to some Europeans who only disclosed their background on the last day.

They are among the world’s richest families. The brand name they own is worth billions. The driver is now treated as a family friend and they communicate regularly.

Unlike tourist guides who have to give attention to everyone in a tour group travelling in a tour bus, tour van/car drivers provide personalised services to small groups, families or individuals.

They have the advantage to engage closely with their captive audience. If they deliver high quality services consistently, their lives can be changed forever with just one lucky break.

Forty years ago, I worked as a tourist guide handling tour groups in tour buses and driving Free Independent Travellers (FITs) in tour cars licensed as limousine taxis.

Tourist guide training courses have been conducted for the past 50 years in Kuala Lumpur. The total number of participants throughout the country is many times higher than the 9,600 licensed tourist guides currently registered with Tourism Ministry.

Tourist driver training courses should also be conducted for existing tour van/car drivers to upgrade their skills and offer opportunities to those who wish to join this exciting career.

Introducing training programmes for tourist drivers or driver guides would most certainly raise the quality of our tourism services by several notches.

YS Chan

Kuala Lumpur

Organising better conferences

TS,Monday 21 May 2012

Many big conferences and small training seminars continue to be organised in a similar fashion with little effort or initiative to overcome the common challenges.

Response to open invitations is painfully slow at the beginning and organisers would have to work until the 11^th hour to rope in sufficient participants. They are often dismayed when a large number that registered for free conferences and seminars do not show up.

When such meetings are organised not for profit, it would be wiser to charge a token fee and return it to the participants in the form of useful gifts, such as USB flash drives. The slides and notes forwarded by the speakers can be stored in flash drives and distributed at the end of the day.

Just before the opening, it is usual to find the conference hall or seminar room half empty as some participants would be late and those that arrive early mingle outside. Participants would take their seats if a short video is screened just before the opening and resumption after the lunch break. This is more effective than calling or ushering them in.

While it is customary to introduce or acknowledge the presence of many VIPs together with their long titles, it can be quite boring to those who are more exposed. It is always refreshing to see the opening remark of a British Prime Minister who would address all those present with just a “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen” and get on with the speech.

Participants who had skipped breakfast may wolf down snacks served during tea break and lose their appetite for lunch while those who had a good lunch would be too full for any snacks during the afternoon break. As such, it would be better to provide light breakfast during registration and only coffee/tea during the breaks without affecting the budget. This would induce the participants to arrive early in the morning and return swiftly to their seats during breaks.

Speakers should not be invited based solely on their writings or standing, however knowledgeable or authoritative they may be. If no one in the organising committee has seen and heard a speaker delivered a presentation, it is necessary to scrutinize a video or audio recording before extending the invitation.

Listening to someone speaking English with a heavy accent for long periods can be overly taxing. Participants tend to switch off when it is difficult to make out what is being said.

It is well known that many people from West, South and North East Asia have difficulty speaking English with a neutral accent. On the other hand, Malaysian participants can give a culture shock to even the best foreign speakers.

At a recent automotive conference, the renowned speaker who is also a world best selling author of “The KPI Book” was greeted with silence when he threw a question to the floor.

No one attempted to reply and the participants he looked at for answers avoided eye contact! He was deeply hurt but carried on professionally.

During the morning break, he could not get his cup of coffee as he was bombarded with people trying to ask questions.

The same thing happened when he resumed his talk after the break. Again, it was total silence when he asked a question. During lunch break, he was swarmed with people asking questions.

Malaysians are naturally friendly but lack courtesy to the extent that it can be perceived as rude, especially by foreigners.

 It will be tragic if we choose to say nothing and allow the fear of being ridiculed to be omnipresent in our Malaysian society.

As rightly pointed out by the speaker who related his experience in a published letter, our country may be left behind if Malaysians don’t ask questions during training or conferences.

It is common for speakers to wait agonisingly after their presentations for questions, which usually snowball towards the end of the Q&A session.

As such, it is incumbent upon organisers to appoint some members of the audience to start the ball rolling by raising questions or offer replies to the speakers to avoid awkward situations.

Perhaps, the Malaysia Conventions and Exhibitions Bureau under the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board can provide a template for organisers to use as a guide.

Conferences and seminars must be organised efficiently for their sustainability and effectively for the participants.

As they cater for up-market tourists and industry leaders, their quality is a clear indication of the progress we have made as a nation and the direction our country is heading.

YS Chan

Kuala Lumpur

Time to get tough with rogue cabbies

TS,Tuesday 15 May 2012

I refer to “Taxi improvement programme on the cards” (The Star, May 11).

The Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) has urged the public not to give in to cabbies who haggle or refuse to use the meter.

I would say that most passengers are already practising this when other options are available, and this is applicable for the purchase of any goods or services.

For example, should a driver in a taxi queue at a shopping centre refuse to use the meter or go to a destination; the passenger will just walk to the taxi behind.

The driver at the head of the queue will have to drive off empty otherwise he will be holding up many taxis behind that are ready to leave with passengers.

Some taxi drivers, just like any unscrupulous trader, tend to exploit when demand far exceeds supply.

When taxis are hard to come by, many passengers are likely to agree reluctantly to a higher fixed fare instead of waiting indefinitely for another taxi.

This is all the more compelling under a hot sun or heavy rain. There is also the danger of an accident or crime while waiting for long periods by the roadside.

It is difficult to say no to a  taxi driver who refuses to use the meter under such stressful situations, more so when accompanied by the elderly or infants.

The smarter passengers offer a tip in advance when calling for a taxi to boost their chances of getting a radio cab to respond during the rush hour.

Those rushing for appointment or to the airport would settle for any taxi that will take them and may complain later for having to cough up higher fares.

A taxi driver turning opportunist is bad enough but such occasions pale in comparison to rogue cabbies that prey on passengers daily.

They can easily be found at many spots popular with tourists, travelers or commuters. They get out of their taxis to tout for passengers and gang up to keep other taxi drivers away.

SPAD should make a ruling that cabbies intending to pick up passengers should remain seated behind the wheel and only get out to help, such as loading the luggage.

It is very intimidating, especially for foreigners, to haggle with a cabbie on his feet, let alone a group of them.

Putting an end to such open exploitation by rogue cabbies would bring relief to many commuters and restore some pride to taxi drivers out to make an honest living.

SPAD has given an indication of the Taxi Improvement Programme (TIP) currently being worked out. It certainly looks very comprehensive and promising.

There is little doubt that the professionals in SPAD will succeed in transforming our taxi services eventually.

Meanwhile, the public should not be made to suffer as it does not take rocket science to nab rogue cabbies preying on passengers in the open.

Enforcements at ‘happy hunting grounds’ would send ripples to other taxi drivers. They may work like ‘lone rangers’ but would easily notice any spot that is rid of rogue cabbies.

It will certainly make our city a friendlier place and welcoming to tourists.

YS Chan

Kuala Lumpur

Horn and light alert can prevent accidents

TS, Friday 11 May 2012

I wish to respond to the open letter from the managing director of Perodua that was recently published in the newspapers.

I am currently driving a Myvi my daughter bought 2 years ago. When the Kembara was launched in 1998, I purchased a unit for her use. Before that, when the Kancil was launched, I had ordered a unit for the car rental company that I was attached with. I have worked for several car rental companies and have bought over a thousand cars and enjoyed fleet discounts. I studied automobile engineering and have worked in the 3S (Sales, Service & Spares) of the motor industry.

I wish to make only one proposal, as it is more valuable than all the other stories and suggestions that I could possibly put together. It will give Perodua the opportunity to lead the world, and be the first motor vehicle manufacturer to incorporate a passive safety feature by connecting the horns to the headlights.

The device can be just a piece of wire and a little more by adding a relay so that the headlights will automatically flash whenever the horn is activated. It is a well-known fact that, often, a split second spells the difference between a collision and a narrow escape.

Just before accidents, many drivers would hit the horn button; step hard on the brake pedal and swerve the steering wheel in a bid to avoid a collision.

On many occasions, the other party will not take corrective action as he or she will not be alerted to the danger until too late. The horn is hardly audible on raining nights, but flashing headlights will be noticed from a far greater distance.

Some drivers turn up their stereo full blast, and pedestrians on noisy streets can be indifferent to all the surrounding sounds, and some people may actually be  hard of hearing.

Perhaps globally, hundreds of lives can be saved and thousands of injuries prevented each year if the horns are connected to the headlights of all motor vehicles.

Motor manufacturers are likely to overlook simple but great ideas in their eagerness to introduce the latest technologies. Perodua can choose to make the difference.

YS Chan

Kuala Lumpur

Can cabbies work as guides?

TS,Wednesday 2 May 2012

The report “Offer tour packages, cabbies told” (The Star, April 29) has sparked a furore among leading travel industry players.

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen was reported to have called upon cabbies to offer tour packages and doubled up as tour guides.

If this is allowed, they will encroach into the business of tour operators and the livelihood of tourist guides. The quality of our tour services will also plummet.

The Tourism Industry Act 1992 has legislated that only companies licensed by the Tourism Ministry may offer tour packages, and only individuals with valid authorisation cards may act as tourist guides.

In order not to run fowl of the law, many small tourism industry players such as chalet, boat, bus and taxi operators register themselves under TOBTAB (Tour Operating Business and Travel Agency Business).

As such, the quality of services can vary greatly among the 3,399 licensed companies, as also with the 9,607 tourist guides currently registered with Tourism Ministry.

There are many ambiguous terms in the tourism industry. For example, the academics are fond of describing their programmes as Hospitality & Tourism and many people could not make out the distinction between hospitality industry and being hospitable.

The former being an industry includes accommodation and F&B (Food & Beverage). Together, they constitute more than fifty percent of the tourism receipts in this country. Tourism encompasses many sectors and overlaps into many non-tourism industries.

Hence, the name Ministry of Tourism is correct and Ministry of Tourism & Hospitality is not. The academics also interchange the word travel with tourism.

In the travel industry, there are four major business sectors: travel agencies, tour operators (outbound/inbound/domestic), tour vehicle operators (tour buses, vans and self-drive vehicles) and MICE (Meetings Incentives Conventions Exhibitions) organisers.

Any of these companies may be labeled as a travel agent, a generic term often used by the media.

When asked, many travel industry players would not be able to describe clearly the business that they do.

When giving career talks or conducting training, I usually ask the participants to tell me what is the basic job of a tourist guide.

After 20 years and thousands of answers, I have yet to meet someone who can give the correct reply.

These participants can range from those undergoing a tourist guide training course to the highest echelon in the travel industry. However, when asked what the basic job of a postman is, the first answer from a group is always spot-on.

Perhaps, there should be a distinction between tourist guide and tour guide. Unless exempted, it is mandatory to have a licensed tourist guide on board a tour bus with passengers.

As bus tours need a guide, it will be more appropriate to call licensed tourist guides tour guides.

On the other hand, there are many people who are already guiding tourists pro bono or as part of their value-added services, such as taxi and van drivers, museum and factory guides, and those conducting walking tours.

It would not be practical to legislate such services as it would be difficult to enforce, and unfair to the tourists by forcing them to pay a minimum of RM150 for half-day use of a licensed tourist guide.

However, when tourists have paid for a guided tour, the best tourist guides available should be engaged and they deserve to be paid much more than the minimum RM220 per day.

We have many superb tourist guides in Malaysia and also those who are paid just to sit in a bus and do nothing else.

When licensing of tourist guides was introduced in 1975, I was among the pioneer batch. I could not renew my licence from 1982 as I was no longer active. I have been in management in the travel industry for over 30 years.

During my stint as a taxi driver for several years, I offered sightseeing tours to my passengers and called my itinerary KL See See.

Perhaps, the minister should have called upon cabbies to offer sightseeing tours to their passengers as such value-added services will benefit all parties.

Offering tour packages usually include other arrangements such as accommodation, and will run counter to the Tourism Industry Act.

For cabbies to charge a fixed fee, the taxi regulations may have to be amended.

Charges for metered taxis are to be based on the meter, and hired cars are taxis that ply between cities and towns similar to express buses.

The Tourism Minister recently launched a series of community-based tourism programmes such as taxi tourism service programme and bike tourism. They make better sense than turning 4,000 cabbies in the Klang Valley into taxi tourism ambassadors.

Tourists may associate the people they meet in the country as Malaysians, but to sanction them officially as ambassadors is likely to do more harm than good. It is similar to declaring that Mat Rempits to be one of the nation’s “biggest asset”.

A minimum of six days’ training is needed for both the taxi tourism services and tourism taxi ambassador programmes, not one day. The training methodology should also be changed, as briefing or lecturing taxi drivers will be like water off a duck’s back.

I should know as I have attended a course for taxi drivers in 2006 organised by Tourism Ministry. Any notes to be displayed during the course should be given to the participants in advance.

Training is more effective when the cabbies themselves step forward and declare what is right or wrong with a facilitator, who can guide and explain convincingly.

The tipping point can only be reached when there is also better enforcement, closer monitoring and safety net in place for the cabbies.

YS Chan

Kuala Lumpur

A job for camera squads

TS,Wednesday 21 March 2012 

I refer to “Make errant motorists pay” (The Star, March 16) and wish to commend the writer for his astute observations. 

Our leaders ought to realise that transforming our nation remains a distant dream as long as violation of traffic rules and regulations continue unabated as can be seen almost anywhere anytime. 

Lack of courtesy in using public roads and walkways coupled with lackadaisical enforcement have made our society crass, to the extent that Malaysians are now nonchalant with the scourge. 

Sadly, many of those who consider themselves morally upright and proud of their Asian values cannot see the lack of civility in themselves and those around them. 

Among the many “broken windows” that need to be fixed, perhaps none is more urgent than what is happening on our roads and walkways. It is apparent to everyone, especially foreign visitors. 

However, this perennial problem can be fixed by adopting a more intelligent approach to enforcement, and - believe or not - without the Government incurring an extra sen. 

Private companies can be appointed to assist in surveillance without eroding the power of the various enforcement agencies to summon and prosecute. 

Ex-servicemen can be recruited and trained to be camera crews and record such traffic violations such as jumping red lights or clogging yellow boxes, driving on bus and emergency lanes, illegal parking, reckless driving and speeding.

The camera crews must wear bright uniforms and be highly visible to deter traffic violations. They should not hide behind pillars or bushes. 

Static cameras, if noticed, are often treated as non-functioning. They are not effective deterrence and merely record the offence after the act. Besides, it will cost millions of ringgit to install and maintain a sufficient number. 

The camera crews are bound to be efficient as they are to be paid incentives based on the evidence submitted. 

The coffers of the enforcement agencies would swell from the higher collection of fines, and their systems can be upgraded to cope with the increase in summonses. 

Those caught on camera are to be notified by post and the evidence can be viewed online by keying in the notification and vehicle registration numbers. 

Motorists should be left off the hook for the first offence so as to forewarn the public that they can no longer get away with impunity. 

Our roads would be safer as the presence of many camera crews would deter street crimes such as snatch thefts. 

Our environment would be cleaner as these camera crews can also record vehicles emitting excessive smoke or illegal dumping. 

It would be unwise to open the paid surveillance scheme to all, as ordinary citizens can be assaulted for indiscreetly pointing their camera at the offenders. 

I have been advocating the appointment of private companies to assist in the surveillance for our enforcement agencies since 2003 but there has been no response. 

Lack of courtesy on our roads has permeated into the Malaysian psyche. The fifth tenet of our national philosophy “Courtesy & Morality” is given lip service and seldom practised. 

Education alone has little effect in an environment teeming with bad examples. When given the liberty, new drivers tend to follow bad examples, and young people pick up bad habits, without being taught. 

Our country will never achieve developed status until our citizens abhors bad behaviour. Concerned Malaysians are too few in number. A concerted effort can rally the critical mass needed to scale the tipping point. 

For this, our enforcement agencies hold the key. They have the mechanism to compel transformation of our society. 

YS Chan 

Kuala Lumpur 

Some plans can backfire

TS,Tuesday 20 March 2012 

The “Malaysian Cohort” is a national project involving health information, dietary habit, lifestyle, and blood and urine collection from 100,000 Malaysian citizens to identify diseases such as cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and stroke among others. 

Malaysians aged 35 to 65 are invited to join by filling a questionnaire for the project secretariat. An appointment for a free medical checkup will then be scheduled and volunteers are informed that it will take about 2 hours. 

The project was initiated in 2004 and is still ongoing because of the large number needed. Perhaps in an effort to speed up the process, a canopy was erected near the Jalan Ikan Emas wet market at Cheras, which I visited last Saturday. 

Two young female workers in T-shirts were seen seated behind their desks, one handling registration, and the other with a handheld gadget that can read the glucose level from a drop of blood. 

Passers-by were under the impression that the exercise was a good initiative by the Government to reach out to the common folks, and some stopped by to have their glucose level tested. 

However, many soon went away disappointed, especially those who could not communicate well with the workers. Even I could not make out what the workers were trying to say. I had to go online to find out what “Malaysian Cohort” was all about. 

Instead of telling younger people that the project is for those above 35 or older ones that it is for those below 65, I was asked my age. Any person can easily see that I am clearly well within the range. 

Many others were confused when they were asked whether they have had a medical checkup at HUKM. 

The exercise could have been carried out in a smoother manner. Anyone interested should be allowed to register and fill up the questionnaire. It would then be up to the secretariat to schedule the free checkup or otherwise. 

All those who wish to have their glucose level tested should be entertained, whether they are participating in the project or not. This is what the public would expect upon seeing a worker holding the glucose-test gadget. 

Although the workers were not rude, they were far from courteous. Their facial expression and body language exposed their feelings. They acted as if they were doing the public a favour and did not respond to requests for glucose tests. 

Many people felt rejected, dejected and left without registering or having their glucose level tested. 

Sadly, such situations are not isolated. Government initiatives that are poorly implemented can result in alienating the people. 

The success of this project hinges on reaching out to a cross section of the Malaysian population. As such, the local demographic must be taken into account and workers engaged to deal with the public must be able to communicate with all levels of society. 

A combination of weak procedure, poor training, loose monitoring and bad attitude is bound to negate the efforts of the Government. 

YS Chan 

Kuala Lumpur 

Focus on health of commercial vehicle drivers

TS,Saturday 26 February 2012 

In a joint study with the Road Safety Department (JKJR), the Sleep Disorder Society Malaysia (SDSM) found that 30% of bus drivers are affected by sleep disorders. 

Its president Dr Muhammad Muhsin Ahmad Zahari said 8% had chronic conditions and needed to be treated first before they could resume driving. 

More shocking discoveries would be unearthed if similar studies were conducted on the mental and physical health of those driving lorries, buses and taxis. 

Commercial vehicle drivers are required to renew their Goods Driving Licence (GDL) or Public Service Vehicle (PSV) licence annually at the Road Transport Department (JPJ). 

The renewal form must be stamped and signed by a medical practitioner who has examined the applicant to certify he or she is fit to drive a commercial vehicle. 

However, GDL and PSV licences are swiftly renewed at JPJ without the authenticity of the signatures being checked. 

It is no surprise if 50% of commercial vehicle drivers fail a stringent medical examination, especially if drug and eye tests are included. 

Many of them are overweight or obese and suffer from hypertension, diabetes and other lifestyle diseases. 

Many are likely to be dehydrated and constipated for working long hours behind the wheel. Some binge on food and cigarettes during breaks. 

If a National Health Service scheme is in place, they will be among the 20% of the population that will gobble up 80% of the expenditure. 

If all unhealthy commercial drivers are taken off the road, our road public transport will be crippled. It will also be unnecessarily cruel to them and their families. 

As such, the various authorities such as JKJR, JPJ and the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) should institute measures to promote the health of these drivers as part of an overall road safety campaign. 

The initiative by SDSM ought to be lauded, and for every driver treated for chronic sleep disorder, it is as good as having a time bomb removed from our roads. 

YS Chan, 

Kuala Lumpur

National interest first

TS,Tuesday 7 February 2012 

Taxi drivers are back in the limelight with their plight and grievances being given much attention and publicity, and errant cabbies caught in Ops Tegas mounted by the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD). 

The looming general election has drawn leaders from both sides of the political divide to show greater concern on the welfare of taxi drivers. 

However, years of bad politics and policies have contributed to the poor state of the taxi industry and more knee-jerk responses for expediencies will drive it deeper into the abyss. 

The entire public transportation on land needs a major overhaul and SPAD was created to serve this purpose. 

Transformation of the taxi industry can only be achieved by setting short-, medium- and long-term plans that place national interest first. 

Some cabbies have called for the scrapping of the taxi coupon system that has been in use since the opening of KL Sentral 10 years ago and before that, at the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station. 

The system at KL Sentral is open to any licensed taxis, and cabbies are not charged a monthly ‘stand fee’ that is commonly practised at major hotels. 

Cabbies have no problems cashing the coupons at 90% of the value from the KL Sentral concessionaire and this arrangement has never been an issue. 

As the coupon fares are zone based, some of the charges will be higher, and others lower, than metered fares. 

They are generally higher to offset normal traffic congestion, but not for a bad jam. Passengers ought to be thoughtful and tip the drivers for their lost working time. 

Any proposal to replace the coupon system with metered fare at the new low cost carrier terminal at KL International Airport (KLIA2) is welcome. It is fair to both the drivers and passengers, provided the meters have not been tempered with. 

The concessionaire must respond immediately to any complaint against a driver or taxi. Passengers who are short-changed must be swiftly compensated and SPAD to be informed of every case and action taken. 

It is fair to charge a RM3 handling fee for managing a concession professionally that comes with a service guarantee. It must be an open system, and drivers and taxis must be inspected before being allowed to pick up passengers. 

However, if the concessionaire has little responsibility or accountability and is no better than a rent-seeker, it is not fair to demand that passengers pay a service fee. 

It is common practice for major hotels to appoint a company or individual to manage the taxi service. Most of the hotel-based taxis are licensed under limousine or executive. 

Whenever a budget taxi is preferred, the “call taxi lamp” is switched on. The flashing light attracts budget taxis like moths to a flame and guests do not have to wait long. 

Barring budget taxis from a shopping centre is unacceptable to both taxi drivers and passengers. It is no wonder that the cabbies are up in arms. 

Most taxi drivers do not find it worthwhile to pay registration and monthly fees to such a concessionaire. Those who do may end up queuing for hours to get a trip. 

Some tourists find the executive taxi fares reasonable and are happy with the taxi service from KLCC. However, more tourists now prefer budget taxis as their fares are much lower, and the locals are used to paying lower taxi fares. 

Many budget taxi drivers try to fix fares. It is the other way round for executive taxis. These drivers are happy to use the meter but some passengers try to fix fares. 

The Federal Territory and Urban Well-being Ministry plans to announce an insurance scheme for taxi drivers in March 

We must bear in mind that the poorer sections of our society are more used to receiving aid and many people do not really understand the concept of insurance. 

Those who need health insurance the most are too sick to qualify for such cover and those who are healthy are least interested. 

Taxi drivers are in the high-risk group for personal accident insurance. For adequate cover, the premium is high and cover is too basic when the premium is low. 

Insurance companies are similar to gaming companies. Over time, they collect more than they pay out. They are profits-driven and some of the ignorant make wild accusation that it amounts to cheating when the odds are in favour of the insurer. 

The new insurance scheme will receive a boost if the ministry is prepared to subsidise 50% of the premiums for the first year and continue to do so in subsequent years for taxi drivers with clean records. 

YS Chan, Kuala Lumpur

State govt move to help save bus services lauded

TS,Saturday 4 February 2012 

The rescue effort of the bus service for the state by the Malacca state government ought to be lauded. 

However, steps must be taken to ensure that it will not end up to be a case of old wine in a new bottle, as the same workers and culture are transferred to a consortium. 

Leakages are common in state-run enterprises and consortiums. They are difficult to plug after the rot has set in. 

In the bus industry, leakages mainly occur in procurement, maintenance and fares collection. 

As such, preventive measures must be instituted early to act as a deterrent and bring things under control. 

At the other end of the scale, the recent report of Ken Grenda, 79, who operated a bus service in Melbourne, is inspiring. 

He sold his company, ensured that all 1,800 employees kept their jobs and handed out RM48.69m in “thank you” bonuses to his loyal staff. 

To quote one of the workers “Ken looked after his employees, he treated them like family. Every time he comes past the depot, he shakes everyone’s hands, and says ‘g’day’”. 

State enterprises are no match with business run by passionate entrepreneurs. 

YS Chan 

Kuala Lumpur

Responsible Tourism

TS,Friday 27 January 2012 

Travel and tour companies are now required to enroll a senior staff for the “Travel & Tour Enhancement Course” (TTEC) as one of the conditions for the renewal of their company licence by the Tourism Ministry. 

For many years, tourist guides have been undergoing “Continuous Tourism Related Education” (CTRE) courses to renew their annual licence. 

The licensing of tourist guides was introduced in 1975. Tour and travel companies are governed by “Tour Operating Business & Travel Agency Business” (TOBTAB) from 1986. 

Over the past 25 years, travel and tour operators were not compelled to upgrade their professionalism and only a small number participated in the Human Resource Development Fund. 

Travel industry employees learned mostly on-the-job and few are formally trained. There is great disparity in the level of knowledge and skills across the 3,207 licensed travel and tour companies. 

It is more apparent in terms of marketing and customer service. However, hidden dangers lurk below the surface and major players are just as vulnerable. 

Some are too busy building their business and raking profits but may lose everything in a major catastrophe. Operators should safeguard what they have achieved through all the years of hard work. 

As such, travel and tour operators ought to accord greater importance to the TTEC, which has to be attended by just one senior management staff annually. 

Some experienced industry leaders felt that they can teach the trainers instead of learning from them, and they ought to be paid instead of paying RM350 for attending the course. 

However, it is the norm for many professionals in other industries to pay and attend conferences to share or keep abreast with the latest developments. 

Leading experts are similar to top sportsmen. They acquire skills through proper training and adequate practice, as superficial knowledge does not lead to concrete action. 

The introduction of TTEC is a step in the right direction towards responsible tourism. It is an industry that overlaps many others and almost everyone is a stakeholder. 

Tourism providers ought to be more knowledgeable on major issues such as licensing, legal, safety, health and environment; apart from marketing, customer service and crisis management. 

Tourists and local communities too would welcome education on their role and responsibilities, as it can bring more opportunities and better sustainability. 

Citizens who are truly “Proud to be Malaysians” should show courtesy towards visitors and to the locals when travelling, especially to overseas destinations. 

The main asset of any country is its people and the exemplary behaviour of Malaysians is more appealing to tourists than all the other factors combined. 

Malaysians traveling overseas on business or holiday would be happy to do “national service” by inviting the people they meet to visit our country. All it takes is a little endorsement. 

A campaign or programme can be drawn up for them to play host to their foreign guests. Upon their arrival in Malaysia, both host and guests can spend time together in a restaurant, spa or theme park, sponsored by Tourism Malaysia. 

As such, the authorities should not ignore but take advantage of outbound tours and business travelers. We ought to bear in mind that tourism is a two-way trade. 

Participants for the TTEC can extract the full value by putting forward intelligent questions in advance for the trainers to prepare and address adequately during the course. 

This may require the participants to read up or study in advance the Malaysia Tourism Transformation Plan (MTTP); the various Tourism Industry Acts; the laws governing the rights and liabilities of tourism providers and tourists, including those under the Department of Safety & Health (DOSH); and best practices on responsible tourism. 

Conversely, those who treat the TTEC lightly will not gain much, as learning is largely dependent on them, and less on the trainers or modules. They may later pay dearly for their ‘tidakapa’ attitude. 

With the establishment of the Consumer Tribunal, dissatisfied customers can easily file a claim against a travel agency or tour operator. They only need to pay RM5 and can be awarded up to RM25,000 in compensation. 

As both parties are not entitled to legal representation during the hearing, judgment will be decided based on the evidence and words of the aggrieved customer against the explanation offered by the staff representing the company. 

As such, travel and tour operators should be more professional. For a start, they should adopt a mindset of charging and paying reasonable fees, just as they wish to be paid for their services. 

Those who continue with unhealthy practices and irresponsible tourism are likely to be swamped with summonses, as aggrieved customers successful with their claims at the Tribunal will spread to others like wildfire. 

Travel and tour companies will be compelled to choose their staff and customers carefully. This will be followed by adequate training for the staff and better relationships with the clients. 

The initial one-day TTEC is still a work-in-progress. It is likely to be expanded as the travel industry matures and embraces a learning culture. 

YS Chan 

Kuala Lumpur