KUALA LUMPUR – Distributing tourism brochures riddled with glaring historical inaccuracies is highly embarrassing, Melaka community leaders said, following a social media post exposing numerous mistakes in the state’s tourism’s brochure.
Save the Portuguese Community Action Committee chairman Martin Theseira attributed the errors to a lack of proper checks and proofreading by authorities before the brochure’s release, noting that at least 10 historical inaccuracies have been identified.
“This is not the first time the authorities have blundered regarding Melaka’s history,” Theseira commented, stressing that such errors are unacceptable, especially for a state whose identity is deeply rooted in its historical heritage.
To address these issues, Theseira said tourism authorities should consult historians and cultural experts in Melaka, who are willing to offer their assistance pro bono.
“This situation is very embarrassing and reflects poorly on the state,” Theseira told Scoop.
“There are many history experts in Melaka ready to help with such matters for free, and their expertise should be utilised.”
Historian Serge Jardin, who highlighted the brochure’s mistakes, agreed with Theseira’s assessment, attributing the errors to the publisher’s failure to fact-check the booklet’s contents.
Jardin, a Frenchman who is married to a Melaka local, noted that the brochure was not published by Melaka Tourism’s office, but procured from a private company.
He also pointed out that the brochure is in its fourth edition, having been in circulation since 2020.
“For instance, stating that 1511 is in the 15th century instead of the 16th century appears childish,” Jardin said when contacted.
“I understand that Tourism Melaka bought the brochures from a private company before distributing them. This probably explains why they did not check it first. It’s a chain of errors, from poor writing to a lack of proofreading.”
Jardin further suggested that those responsible for writing historical content for tourists should possess the necessary qualifications.
“Melaka Tourism, who purchased these booklets, should also review them before distribution,” Jardin added.
Meanwhile, Kota Melaka MP Khoo Poay Tiong highlighted that 2024 is Visit Melaka Year, and such blunders risk making the state, and potentially the country, a laughingstock.
The DAP lawmaker urged authorities to rectify the situation by recalling the erroneous brochures.
“If the production of these brochures is outsourced, the authorities must check the content first and not just leave it to the private company.
“The private company too must be responsible as this incident can tarnish the state’s image,” Khoo told Scoop.
In response to the backlash, Tourism Melaka issued a statement confirming that distribution of the brochure has been halted. They apologised for the incident and assured the public that they are working with the publisher to fact-check the booklet’s contents. – July 11, 2024
