Facebook Tourism! What really happen!

Did the Ministry of Tourism really spend 1.8million to create and maintain 6 Facebook account?

The answer is Yes!

The 6 FB account is...

• Citrawarna 1Malaysia
• 1Malaysia Malaysia Mega Sale/Malaysia Year End Sale
• Cuti-Cuti 1Malaysia
• 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism contest
• 1Malaysia Green and Clean Campaign
• Fabulous Food 1Malaysia

Did DAP lied or twisted the facts?!

Tourism Minister Ng Yen Yen using her FB page to accuse DAP of completely twisted the truth.Actually it was Ng Yen Yen's own Deputy Tourism Minister James Dawos Mamit that told Parliament that the ministry spent RM1.8 million on the Facebook site, including expenditure for six Flash applications, development and maintenance work and advertising.

So actually it is Ng Yen Yen that is twisting the truth!

So what does the 1.8 million buys you??

According to the Cuti-cuti Tourism Malaysia page...

The RM1.8million budget is used for:

1. Technical

1.1 Dedicated hardware deployment

1.2 Software licensing

1.3 Front end applications

1.4 Application Server engine

2. Development of six (6) campaigns which requires:

2.1 Flash games engine

2.2 Flash programming & coding

2.3 Creative Development and Design

2.4 Campaigns Ideas and Concept

2.5 Front-end Flash Design

2.6 Testing and Debugging

3. Campaign Promotions

3.1 Digital advertising campaigns on Google and Facebook

3.2 Contest, Page Wall and Tourism Fanpage Content Management

3.3 Collection and management of Database

The Fanpage sets as its KPI and aims to achieve the following targets:

1. An average of 20,000 fans per campaign
2. Minimum 120,000 fans by the end of December 2011
3. To increase traffic and encourage domestic and international tourism
4. To act as a promotional tool to disseminate information for Tourism Malaysia, Ministry of Tourism and Government.
5. Tourism Malaysia and the Ministry of Tourism will be able to communicate directly with at least 120,000 fans (Malaysians and foreigners) by the end of the year through the Fanpage and Database compiled from the applications.

KPI is suppose to be objectives that are quantifiable. So only the 120,000 fans is the only realistic objective that can be measured.

Is this value for money?

Is this 1.8million expenditure only for 1 year or less and how much more do we have to spend maintaining it?!

Would this have been a big deal if the govt didn't raise sugar,petrol and electricity prices?

If we need to be more careful in the way we spend the money, shouldn't the govt do the same and not simply blow their budget!? (see here to see how much the govt has overspend this year)

The big joke is that I hear many stories of JPA graduates who have Computer software degrees from top universities around the world who stayed overseas because the govt failed to employed them!!