VIPS MUST MINGLE MORE AT FORMAL FUNCTIONS, THE ACT OF CASTING FLOWER PETALS AS THE VIPS WALKED PAST AT FUNCTIONS AND ANNOUNCING EACH AND EVERY VIP BY NAME AT EVENTS SHOULD ALSO BE SCRAPPED

VIPs should mingle with the people and not sit with other VIPs at the same table during formal functions, a minister was quoted as saying by Utusan Malaysia.

Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said he would suggest to the Cabinet to change the seating arrangements at formal functions so that VIPs could sit with the people at grassroots level.

He said the current seating arrangements that seemed to put VIPs on a pedestal has to be discontinued as the practice was no longer valid, the newspaper added,

While respect should still be given to VIPs, it should not be overdone, he said, and they should learn to mingle more with society.

He added that although the same proposal was made in 2003, it was hardly practised.

He also said the act of casting flower petals as the VIPs walked past at functions and announcing each and every VIP by name at events should also be scrapped.