Malaysians have become an ugly lot and the billions of ringgit spent to promote our country through glossy advertisements can barely hide this ugly fact. We claim to welcome our visitors with open arms and open hearts, but push them away with our unfriendly attitude and fake hospitality.

Mind you, I am not even talking about foreign tourists yet. It is enough just to look at the way our leaders treat our own Malaysian guests at their open houses. A friendly visit to the prime minister's Hari Raya open house recently by supporters of Hindraf and Raja Petra Kamarudin has been construed as an illegal assembly and a trespass.

If our leaders could not be amicable to our own people on such a festive day, what else more could we expect from the people running the tourism industry in this country?

Last night I went for a buffet dinner at a ‘6 star’ beach resort in Penang with a group of friends, which included a foreigner. Despite our table reservation being confirmed the day before, the staff could not find it on the list. After a period of blank stares and exchanges between the restaurant staff, we were finally ushered to a table in dead silence. The gloomy-looking staff made no effort at all to apologise for their mistake.

The only jovial mood last night came from the guests. The chef, cooks, waiters and waitresses appeared to be in a perpetual state of sadness and at times, inattentive.

Comparing their service to the ones I received during my holiday in Bangkok recently, I would say that the Thai hawkers and food peddlers were more polite, respectful and intuitive to the needs of their guests.

It is sad indeed to witness their lack of capability in what is touted to be the best hotel in Penang, if not Malaysia. These are the front line people who come into contact with guests most of the time during their stay and the impression they leave on the guests will remain in their memory for a long time.

If this attitude continues to fester in all of us, more tourists will bypass Malaysia and head to Thailand where they are welcomed with smiles. One has to take note that Thailand is a non- English speaking country and yet millions of tourists converge there every day to experience their charm.

Indeed, a smile is one of those things that do not cost a single sen to produce and yet is worth a million.

Genuine hospitality comes from the heart and not merely the lips. The easiest way to inculcate this quality is to put ourselves in the shoes of our guests and be aware of their needs. We should always practise the concept of doing onto others what we want others to do upon us.

After two Visit Malaysia Years (1990 and 2007), most of our countrymen have still not managed to shed their self-centred image. We have been duped by our politicians into thinking that we are invincible and can remain independent without foreign help and patronage. In reality, we are losing out in all fields at an alarming rate, even to our poorer neighbours.

The most we can offer our guests these days are paper-thin cosmetic smiles which seldom emanate from the heart.

Malaysia's tourism ministry has been wasting a lot of taxpayers' money on over-budgeted launching ceremonies and events. But they have overlooked the basic step in creating a tourist- friendly and tourist-driven culture amongst the people in the industry and in all Malaysians in general.

That basic step is education and the dissemination of useful information to the public. Even in a small island like Penang, one would usually read about events and functions in the newspapers after they have happened.

It seems like the tourism authority does not recognise the importance of pre-publicity to encourage the local masses to attend these organised events.

I always believe that the most difficult thing to do is to look at ourselves in the mirror and accept the true image that is being reflected. We Malaysians should overcome this self-denial and learn to be more courteous to everyone, irrespective of whether they are our own countrymen or guests from other nations.