Chided for absence at Senate Q&A session, Tiong cites scheduling conflicts as reason

KUCHING (Dec 14): Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing cited scheduling conflicts as the reason for his absence at the question-and-answer (Q&A) session at the Dewan Negara recently.

In a Facebook post yesterday, he said as minister for tourism, the work to promote Malaysia as a tourist destination is “non-stop”.

“And, I have a number of important meetings and engagements scheduled in the coming weeks, which may clash with the Senate sitting,” the Bintulu MP said when reacting to the reminder by Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar that federal Cabinet members, including Tiong, must respect the parliamentary institution by attending the Senate’s Q&A session.

Tiong said that balancing the responsibilities to the Senate and his ministerial post is a full-time job and subject to scheduling conflicts.

“But it must be stressed that we have ensured that a balanced ‘win-win’ arrangement was reached between both sets of duties,” he added.

He further pointed out that Wan Junaidi should be more understanding of the demands of holding a ministerial post, which come with a “punishing schedule of meetings, dialogues and events” both locally and overseas, and on top of obligations to the Cabinet and both the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara.

Suggesting that he understood that some people may be disappointed that he was not present at the recent Q&A session in the Senate, Tiong explained it was due to him receiving last-minute notification on the evening of Dec 4 to answer questions in the Senate the next day.

“I had to make a difficult decision towards my responsibility for the development of the tourism industry in Malaysia, as Dec 5 clashed with a town hall session involving a few hundred industry players that had been planned for months,” he explained.

“Additionally, I am scheduled to travel to China from Dec 9 to 20 to attend a tourism trade show as part of Malaysia’s sales mission, of which I have already respectfully informed the Senate via written communication to the Senate President’s office.”

Therefore, Tiong said it was arranged that his Deputy Minister Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan would be the one to answer questions on behalf of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.

He also insisted that Khairul was more than qualified to perform during the Q&A session.

“As members of the Unity Government, we should have a better understanding of each other’s roles. In order to keep the country’s overall development on track, both Houses and Cabinet ministers should complement each other and coordinate arrangements, rather than being fixated on rules and regulations.

“Tan Sri Wan Junaidi may have a ‘misunderstanding’ of me, thinking that I am afraid of answering questions in the Senate, but I believe that it is important to prioritise the development of the tourism industry,” he said.

Tiong said tourism is a key driver of economic growth in Malaysia and that he is committed to doing everything he can to promote the industry, adding now is a critical moment to help revive the national economy.

Therefore, it is equally important to strive to benefit the country’s tourism industry and create a prosperous economic boom for the people, including in Sabah and Sarawak, which is the home of the Senate president, said Tiong.

“Therefore, I hope that Tan Sri Wan Junaidi will be reasonable and keep an open mind and try to understand that there can be balance in everything.”

He also said that as part of the Unity Government, any matter could be discussed amicably without openly provoking unnecessary controversies, disputes or causing public misunderstanding.