Ammar Abd Ghapar, the former director-general of Tourism Malaysia, finds himself at a crossroads after being demoted to deputy director-general, a decision he questions and finds unjust. His abrupt demotion, occurring within a mere five days, has left him bewildered and concerned about his reputation, especially after dedicating 36 years to serving the tourism, arts, and culture ministry.
Expressing his dismay, Ammar stated, “The five-day notice terminating my services as DG has tarnished my image and reputation. I do not deserve such treatment after having served for 36 years.” He is perplexed about the reasons behind his demotion, asserting that he has always adhered to instructions and never questioned or disobeyed during his tenure.
Despite the minister, Tiong King Sing, citing Ammar's "under-performance" as the reason for his demotion, Ammar remains uncertain about his alleged shortcomings. He emphasized the need for the government to thoroughly examine and substantiate any accusations against him, allowing him an opportunity to clarify his position.
Moreover, Ammar disclosed that he has yet to receive an official letter regarding his demotion, which is purportedly scheduled to take effect soon. In light of this, he contemplates taking leave until he receives formal confirmation and an offer for his new position.
Expressing shock over the sudden turn of events, Ammar intends to wait for the process to unfold according to regulations before deciding his next course of action. Despite the challenges he faces, he remains resolute and focused on a fair resolution to this situation.
In response to these developments, Minister Tiong King Sing defended the decision, stating that Ammar had been given numerous opportunities to improve his performance. Dismissing any insinuations of racial bias, Tiong clarified that the demotion was based on Ammar's perceived lack of engagement, which had been a concern raised by several state governments.
Tiong emphasized that both he and Ammar's deputy had provided guidance and sought his input for the betterment of the nation's tourism industry. However, the perceived failure to implement effective strategies led to the decision to demote Ammar.
Kamran is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact Newswav.
