KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 — Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has defended the decision to serve alcoholic beverages at a gala dinner during a Global Travel Meet exhibition, stating that the issue should not be politicised or regarded as an affront to Muslims.
In a New Straits Times (NST) report, Tiong clarified that the event had been organised by private sector players, rather than his ministry.
He also said that in previous years, no alcohol had been served at ministry-hosted functions in compliance with public service regulations.
“I have already explained that while the approval was indeed official, the organisation of the event was entrusted to the private sector.
“For the past two or three years, the ministry has also organised many official functions, were there any alcoholic drinks served? No,” he was quoted as saying.
The minister’s remarks came in response to a supplementary question from Wan Hassan Mohd Ramli (PN–Dungun), who had urged Tiong to offer an apology in relation to the issue.
Tiong acknowledged the sensitivities surrounding the matter, stressing that it should not be politicised or viewed as an offence to Muslims.
“We have never disrespected anyone, and none of our official events have ever served alcohol at the table,” he stated.
Earlier in the session, Tiong had expressed regret over the confusion surrounding the gala dinner’s organisation.
He admitted that the misunderstanding stemmed from a lack of prior announcement regarding the event’s details, NST reported.
The minister further explained that the gala dinner was overseen by private industry players, chose to organise the event in conjunction with business deals amounting to nearly RM420 million.
On October 7, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim issued Tiong a stern warning over the incident, saying it must never be repeated. He also warned all government leaders and agencies not to take such matters lightly.
Motac has since stated that it will tighten monitoring and ensure stricter compliance with event guidelines and codes of conduct for all programmes under its purview.
