GET THE MESSAGE ACROSS IN LESS 'TOURIST-UNFRIENDLY' TERMS

Datuk Dr Ridzwan Bakar of Kuala Lumpur (via e-mail) writes:

WHILE it is true that our strict visa rules are hampering the tourism
industry, the Government should look at other archaic and outdated
regulations which are blindly being followed by the stakeholders in the
industry.

One should question whether it is necessary to make those nerve-wracking
and tourist-unfriendly announcements on all planes arriving into the
country that drug trafficking is an offence "punishable by death'' under
the strict anti-drug laws.

While it is important to show our seriousness regarding this issue, the
message can be conveyed in less "tourist-unfriendly'' terms.

For example, replacing "punishable by death'' with "capital punishment''
will carry the same message but in a more tourist-friendly term.

Similarly, more user-friendly signages at the KL International Airport
pointing out specifically that all passengers need to take the monorail to
Immigration and Customs clearance sections will certainly avoid confusion.

I once saw an elderly woman protesting that she just wanted to get to the
airport exit and not go on the train to some distant destination.