PUTRAJAYA, Oct 24 — DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke has reached out to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to convey the Chinese Malaysian community’s unease following Anwar‘s remarks in Parliament that alcohol should not be served in Chinese school halls.
DAP adviser and Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng said Loke is seeking a compromise that would allow the community to continue its long-held customs and traditions.
“Anthony Loke understands the Chinese community’s concerns and has taken the initiative to speak with the prime minister to seek a compromise that allows the community to continue its traditions and customs,” Lim said in a Facebook post written in Mandarin today.
He noted that Anwar‘s comments had “stirred a hornet’s nest”, describing the Chinese community’s deep dissatisfaction over what they view as interference in a decades-old social practice.
“Even during PAS-led administrations, such community activities in Chinese school halls were never interfered with, as mutual respect and harmony were maintained,” he said.
Lim questioned whether such restrictions could expand further, saying, “After banning alcohol, will pork be next?”
The issue arose after Anwar said in Parliament yesterday that even if a school hall is rented by external parties, it should not be used for activities involving alcohol or gambling, as schools must remain places of learning.
Anwar added that the prohibition was not meant to deny non-Muslim rights but to uphold the universal values of education.
