Matta Fair 2009 opening ceremony’s boo-boos by emcee

By Laura Lee

At Matta Fair’s opening yesterday morning (4 Sept), its emcee announced that Taiwan artiste Jolin Tsai is “rumoured” to be here today. If he thinks this will lend the 28th Matta Fair some buzz and excitement, this is a certainly a wrong pitch to use.

This piece of news was certainly no rumour. Also, it was targeted at the wrong crowd at the opening ceremony, which are made up of the key industry players in the travel trade and not visitors or the general public to the fair.

The media has been alerted three days ago about Jolin showing up together with director We Nien Jen as Taiwan’s tourism ambassadors to share tips on how to enjoy Super Value Taiwan from 2.30pm to 3.55pm at the Matta Fair.

The next boo-boo this same emcee made was to introduce Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) caretaker president Ngiam Foon as “a pillar of Matta” and a “founding member” when it was time for him to give a speech at the opening ceremony. Ngiam was, however, quick to correct that he was none of the above when he went up the stage to deliver his address.

Outside the hall after the opening ceremony, PT Banten West Java Tourism Development Corporation director Tjahjadi Rahardja remarked that when he heard those two references being made by the emcee, he had expected Matta former president Tunku Iskandar Tunku Abdullah (pic), who is popularly known as TI, to go up the stage as he fitted the bill or descriptions perfectly.

TI himself admitted that he is probably the last few founding members of Matta who was inside the hall of the opening ceremony. He served as Matta president from 1983-89 and from 1998-2005.

Ngiam took over as the association president from 2005-2009. Matta was founded by the late Loh Yut Lock who was president from 1975-76.

This is the first time in the association’s history that there will be a caretaker president “to represent Matta in all president related positions” according to an Interim Order issued by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on 21 August 2009.

This announcement, posted in Matta website, http://www.matta.org.my/, on 30 August by its honorary secretary general, Joseph Xavier, says the current executive council (exco) shall consist of the following:

· Elected chapter chairman for the term 2009-2011.
· Elected office bearers as per the 2009 annual general meeting (AGM) held on June 27, excluding the president elect, Dato’ Setia Dr Joshua Peter Tan.
· Caretaker president Ngiam and honorary secretary general Xavier.
· The president elect (Tan) and the past deputy president Dato' Mohd Khalid Harun as observers.

A leadership tussle arose when Matta immediate past president Ngiam led an interim committee, comprising 16 out of Matta 24 exco members, to cast a vote of no confidence at a 23 July meeting against Tan and his deputy president Rozzana Rahmat, who were elected together with the rest of the exco members at the recent Matta AGM.

“Unlawful voters” alleged to be found at the AGM, which resulted in “doubtful” election results that were “open to challenge” were brought up by Ngiam in his “Urgent message on the AGM/elections to Matta directors or official representative of Matta members”, which was posted in its website on 1 August under its notice board.

The 30 August posting on Matta website by Xavier also states: “We are currently working on cleaning up the membership register and are in the processing of finalising the independent scrutineer from a reputable accounting firm to assist in this exercise to ensure transparency.”

It adds that details of the exercise will be made available once they are finalised by end of the week.

Meanwhile, this remark, “I have had enough. It is a lot of fireworks.” from one Matta member on the on-going leadership tussle should be a wake up call for the association to get cracking on the more serious issues and challenges facing the industry.

To Tan, who might have a lot to lose in view of the allegations that are building up against him, he views what is happening to be “a very interesting drama”.

Tan is also managing director of Cacinjo Holidays Sdn Bhd, an inbound travel agency. In addition, he is president of the Car Rental Association of Malaysia and vice president of the National Tourism Council Malaysia.