Look, I don't usually critique design in public, but when it comes to the Ministry of Tourism and Culture using taxpayers' money...who designed this logo, how much did they get paid for it, and how much did the people who approved it pocket for themselves? #ViSitMalaySia2o2o pic.twitter.com/jSpTO0i70d
PETALING JAYA: Despite some netizens taking a dim view of the newly-unveiled Visit Malaysia Year 2020 campaign logo, the Tourism and Culture Ministry is standing by it.
Its minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz (pic) said receiving flak was not an issue.
“Criticism is normal, we cannot get the consensus of the whole of Malaysia.
“If we want to wait for everyone to agree, even by 2020 it (the logo) will not be completed,” said Nazri when contacted.
The ministry did not spend a single sen on the logo as its in-house design department came up with it, he said.
“We have our own in-house design department and they were responsible for designing all the logos from the first Visit Malaysia Year (in 1990), until this, which is the fifth.
“We didn’t pay any advertising house any money at all to design it.
“I’d rather trust my staff than the netizens. Anyway it was never meant for the locals, it was meant for tourists,” he said.
On Friday, Nazri unveiled the logo at the Asean Tourism Forum in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
It immediately came under fire on the Internet as netizens said that the design was not up to standard.
The logo, designed to look like a postage stamp, features the Petronas Twin Towers, an Orang Utan hugging a proboscis monkey and a turtle on a beach, all donning sunglasses.
It bears the tag line: Travel. Enjoy. Respect.
When asked about the design, Nazri said the logo comprised icons best-associated with Malaysia.
“We retained the Petronas Twin Towers in the logo as it is the most photographed tourism product in Malaysia.
“We have to be proud of the twin towers just as the French take pride in their Eiffel Tower,” he said.
As for the animals, Nazri said they were symbols used in previous Visit Malaysia Year campaigns.
“For the Visit Malaysia Year 2020 campaign, we cannot erase them because the animals are symbolic to Malaysia,” he said.
To ensure that these animals are not claimed by other countries as their own tourism symbols, Nazri said the ministry decided to continue using the animals in the new logo.
“If we do not include these animals in our logo, other countries will claim them,” he said.
The logo was also designed to be colourful as Malaysia is a colourful nation, he added.
“Malaysia is truly Asia, so we have to depict our colourful nation with colours,” said Nazri.
Visit Malaysia Year 2020 is also aimed at bringing in 36 million tourists to the nation.
On a separate matter, Nazri said last year, tourist receipts increased by 2% from RM82bil in 2016.
This is despite the number of tourist arrivals being slightly lower at 25.7 million tourists last year compared to 26.8 million tourists in 2016.
“The income generated is better than the arrivals,” he said.
FIRST the tourism tax and then the umrah levy. There is no shortage of issues at the Tourism Ministry.
One latest issue that is brewing is the choice of the logo for the Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign, which has drawn strong rebuke from Netizens.
The Twitter handle, #VisitMalaysia2020, has drawn mostly unflattering comments from Netizens. One commented: “No one wants to #visitMalaysia2020 now seeing that we are backwards with our graphic designing as well.”
Another wrote: “Malaysians, now tell me how did this get approved?” @muidlatif wrote: “Typeface dah ok ada dynamics tapi identity does not meet any form of representation of local identity, no cultural diversity. Maaf, terkejut sampai semput dibuatnya selepas tengok logo tu.”
Perhaps the minister, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, could take another look at the logo. Nazri was in Chiang Mai on Friday to launch the Visit Malaysia Year 2020 logo at the Asean Tourism Forum.
It may not be too late to do something.
A Jalil Hamid feels in a digital world, the winner does not always take all. He can be reached via jalil@nst.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: The newly-unveiled logo to promote the Visit Malaysia Year 2020 campaign has drawn widespread sneers and jeers on the Internet.
Many netizens have mocked the logo as they feel that it is of poor design for such an important programme to promote the country.
The logo, designed to look like a postage stamp, features an Orang Utan hugging a proboscis monkey and a turtle on a beach, all wearing sunglasses and the Petronas Twin Towers.
It carries a tagline –Travel. Enjoy. Respect.
Netizens said they would be ashamed to promote the Visit Malaysia year 2020 as the logo was not up to Malaysian standards.
Twitter user, Joolee (@tanjoolee) said the logo showed lack of self-respect of the Tourism Ministry.
“Travel. Enjoy. Respect? The hideous logo indicates a severe lack of self-respect on the part of Tourism Ministry,” she tweeted.
Nuar (@penaberkala ) suggested on Twitter that a contest should have been organised for the public to design and select the best logo design.
“It is so sad to see the Visit Malaysia 2020 logo. Why not do a contest, and then select the best. Award the winner with something.
“There are many Malaysians who are talented and can contribute something great to our nation.”
Andy (@2namuh) criticised the design, saying that he wished to see a better logo for the tourism campaign.
“A kiddy art competition would come up with more content and creativity than this, I promise! Or is that a LOL Visit Malaysia 2020 logo? Oh come on…,” he wrote on his Twitter account.
Facebook user, Firdaus Sinichi Mansor expressed his disappointment of the logo design.
“We urge the government to come out with a better logo as there are many talented Malaysians Designer that can come out (produce) with a better logo.
“The Year 2020 should be futuristic but (need to) incorporate (designs of) local culture with flora and fauna,” he said.
On Friday, Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz unveiled the logo at Asean Tourism Forum in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
