Gov't spent RM15mil to sponsor Cardiff team shirts

The government through the Culture and Tourism Ministry had spent 3 million pounds or RM15 million in shirt sponsorship for the Premier League team Cardiff City Football Club owned by Vincent Tan.

In questioning the move, Petaling Jaya Selatan MP Hee Loy Sian said maybe it is government assistance to Tan, who directly owns the club.

“The question is why Cardiff and not other Premier League sides? The ministry should be creative in promoting Visit Malaysia Year 2014 besides sponsoring the shirts and advertisements at the Cardiff stadium,” said Hee.

“The sponsorship would not be able to attract long-haul tourists from the United Kingdom and Western Europe,” the the PJ Selatan MP said.

Hee (left) was responding to an oral question in parliament where Minister Nazri Aziz in his reply said the total sponsorship for “front of shirt” amounts to 7.35 million pounds and of that, 3 million  pounds or RM15 million was spent for the club for the 2013/2014 Premier League season.

Nazri replied that the publicity and public relations would result in 720 million people viewing the sponsored shirts on television, with 217,000 hours on television coverage involving 80 broadcasting partners.

“With the sponsorship, we will be able to make Malaysia as a ‘Top of the Mind destination’, targeting 28 million tourist arrivals.

Hee said the ministry’s funds should have been properly channelled to help local football clubs which are in dire need of funds or investment in training programmes so that our players will be at par with international players.