KUALA LUMPUR, October 10 — Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has defended the decision to serve alcoholic beverages at a gala dinner during the Global Travel Meet exhibition, stressing that the matter should not be politicised or seen as disrespectful to Muslims.
He clarified that the event was organised by private sector players, not his ministry, and noted that no alcohol has ever been served at official ministry functions in previous years. Tiong said the misunderstanding arose from insufficient communication about the event’s organisation, which involved business deals worth nearly RM420 million.
Following public backlash and a stern warning from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the ministry has pledged to tighten monitoring and ensure stricter compliance with event conduct guidelines.
