KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 — A tourism logo for Kuala Lumpur was superfluous with the existence of the country’s iconic “Malaysia, Truly Asia” campaign, Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said today.
Commenting on the controversial logo that was criticised as amateurish, Nazri also questioned the effectiveness of city logos in attracting visitors.
“If people want to come to KL, whatever your logo, it does not matter. People are not going to look at the logo, ‘I like the logo, I come to KL’.
“People will come because they heard so much about Malaysia and they will come regardless,” he told reporters here after an official visit to Central Market.
Nazri also pointed out that Malaysia’s long-running tourism campaign was already effective in promoting the country as a destination, asserting that even children made the connection that Malaysia was “Truly Asia”.
When asked if it was unnecessary to spend money on the logo, he said the quality and value of it was a matter of subjective opinion.
“You may say the logo is lousy, but there are others who say it is good, so we must never have the impression that what we think is right,” he said.
Nazri added there should not be a controversy so long as there were no abuses involved in the Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) commission of the logo.
“It’s their money, as long as they don’t spend the money illegally or they don’t steal the money,” he said.
Shortly after the logo was unveiled last month to promote KL as a tourism destination, it drew backlash as Internet users mocked the rudimentary design.
Ridicule worsened when DBKL’s tourism bureau director disclosed that the logo and master brand concept cost RM15,000.
KL mayor Datuk Seri Mhd Amin Nordin Abd Aziz later emphasised that the RM15,000 cost was not for the logo alone and was mostly financed by a private company.
The logo and branding initiative was based on findings of the Tourism Master Plan 2015-2025, which is under the responsibility of the DBKL tourism bureau.
