TOURISM, Arts, and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing took to social media recently to 'teach' Umno Youth Chief Muhamad Akmal Saleh some Hokkien.
"I have stressed a few times that the 'bak' in bak kut teh stands for meat. For example, ‘geh bak’ is chicken; ‘du bak’ is pork' and ‘gu bak’ refers to beef.
"If you don't know and understand the Hokkien language, find someone who can teach and translate the meaning," he said.
Tiong's lessons come amidst the debate over bak kut teh being named a national heritage food.
Following that, Akmal called on the prime minister to sack Tiong for letting bak kut teh become a national heritage dish.
Akmal said the Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister could have instead recognised Chinese fried rice and other foods that can be eaten by everyone in this country regardless of race or religion.
"Why is this issue associated with the sensitivity of the Malays? It is not that I don't care about the Malay community. As a politician, it is natural that we treat all citizens equally and are concerned for all parties. Does Akmal not understand such a simple principle?
He also questioned Akmal why there was no issue when the Pas National Unity Committee introduced halal bak kut teh, cooked using goat and chicken meat, during the 2018 general election.
"There was no big deal when Pas' Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan once promised to treat his media friends to halal bak kut teh.
"Don't demean your party that is so large and influential. I feel extremely ashamed and sympathise on behalf of Umno youths to have a leader like you," said Tiong.
As a politician, we need to treat all citizens fairly and be concerned about everyone, said the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) president.
"If you are unaware of something, don't bring up racism and religion issues and make them a joke.
"If you do not know the basics of respecting the top leadership of your party, how do you intend to lead the country in the future?" he said, adding that the posting would be his last on the issue and that he no longer wanted to waste any more time debating about trivial matters like this. - The Vibes, March 2, 2024
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