KUALA SELANGOR, Feb 24 — Chief Secretary to the Government (KSN) Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali has clarified that the authority to appoint and terminate the services of the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board (Tourism Malaysia) director-general Datuk Dr Ammar Abd Ghapar, rests with the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture.

He explained that this matter is clearly outlined in the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board Act 1992 (Act 481).

"In fact, the authority to appoint the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board director-general lies within the jurisdiction of the Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (MOTAC), as defined by Act 481, granting the minister the power to appoint and terminate an individual’s services.

"At times, it becomes necessary to provide clarification to the public, as I am aware that this issue has been raised and circulated widely on social media and other platforms.

"The official statement released to the public explicitly states that the authority falls under the jurisdiction of the respective minister, and any further clarification will come directly from that minister,” he said after attending the rehearsal for tomorrow’s closing ceremony of the Central Zone Madani Rakyat program at the Kuala Selangor Sports Complex today.

Mohd Zuki said this in response to reports in the local media and social media about Ammar’s dismissal as Malaysian Tourism Director-General which was allegedly stated in a letter dated Feb 22.

According to the letter, the termination of Ammar’s service, effective next Monday (Feb 26), was under Subsection 10 (1) of the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board Act 1992 (Act 481), read together with Section 47 of the Interpretation Act 1948 and 1967 (Act 388).

Earlier, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing today denied that Ammar was terminated from the post but instead demoted to the post of Tourism Malaysia deputy director-general.

Tiong said the decision was made due to Ammar’s declining performance, which was described as unsatisfactory, despite being advised several times to improve.

Meanwhile, Mohd Zuki said that over 55,000 visitors have attended the Central Zone Madani Rakyat program, and he anticipates an even larger turnout to enliven the Showcase Kita Selangor 2024 concert scheduled for tonight.

"There are 163 services offered in this programme, and visitors are still making their way to the area, demonstrating the effectiveness of the implemented services,” he said.

Mohd Zuki explained that the Madani Rakyat programme in the central zone is a collaborative effort with the Selangor government, aiming to bring government services directly to the public.

He also announced plans to extend this programme to the northern zone in Penang, southern zone in Johor, and eastern zone in Pahang.

The three-day programme, which runs from 9am to 10pm, is a continuation of the Madani Government One Year Programme, which is a forum for the community to obtain information about 163 federal, state and related government services. — Bernama