Tourism Malaysia chairman Siew Ka Wei said all documents signed for the digital marketing initiative were made in a clear and transparent manner according to administrative procedures.
The contract is with the Tencent Group, China’s largest internet and digital corporation with a reach to 980 million Chinese nationals.
“Copies (purportedly of the contract) shown in Wee’s blog are not of the actual contract signed with the Tencent Group. They were copies of a draft proposal and Tourism Malaysia has come up with a different document that protected the interest of the board and the nation.
“The final agreement that was signed was the one that Tourism Malaysia came up with,” he said in a statement here today.
Wee had labelled as a “Speedy Gonzales contract” a RM99 million deal with a local company which acted as a go-between for Tourism Malaysia and Tencent Group to promote Malaysia on social media platforms.
The former Wangsa Maju MP claimed that the deal was made against the ministry’s procurement regulations and done hastily without proper due diligence.
However, Siew said Tencent had chosen Geeko Technology as the local partner to implement the project here. “The principal officers are known to the Tencent Group. The choice of Geeko as a Special Purpose Vehicle for the project was made by Tencent,” he said.
Siew said Tourism Malaysia stood by its actions and insisted that its administrative actions were made in accordance with proper procedures with full transparency and integrity.
“We welcome any authority to check and verify his claims,” he said.
Siew said such allegations be stopped and withdrawn immediately so as not to jeopardise the Smart Tourism project.
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