THE call by the National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (Nufam) to the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) to look into the handling of alcohol by Muslim cabin crew is short-sighted, said the MCA.
Its youth secretary-general, Saw Yee Fung, said the enforcement of such a proposal will cause Malaysia’s commercial airlines industry to lose out on its competitive advantage.
"Ultimately, the biggest losers would be the employees in the private aviation sector themselves.
"Among other factors, the free-flowing alcohol served on board Arab-based airlines like Emirates and Qatar Airways without interference from religious authorities is a passenger puller.
"Adapting to clients’ needs rather than compelling customers to adopt one’s values will encourage travellers to fly with Malaysian-based airlines," she said in a statement.
As experienced flight attendants, Saw said Nufam would have earned plaudits by suggesting measures to raise the competitiveness of Malaysia’s airline industry and draw tourists.
"This can be done by suggesting to travellers to take advantage of Malaysia’s weak Ringgit and fly into and across destinations in Malaysia on board our Malaysian-based airlines," she added.
As Malaysia missed out on Taylor Swift’s exclusive concert in Singapore, Nufam could have proposed to the Transport Ministry to provide incentives to fly Taylor Swift or other big-name pop artists or West End or Broadway theatre companies and their entourages on board Malaysian-registered commercial air carriers.
"If the negotiations are successful, the montages of these celebrities could also be embellished on the aeroplanes flying them in.
"Travellers would then be attracted to fly in these Malaysian-registered aircraft, given their association with international celebrities,".
Saw said this government incentive would be similar to how the Singapore government reportedly offered between S$2 million to S$3 million per show in exchange for exclusivity.
It was reported that the exclusive performances by Taylor Swift in Singapore landed an RM1.7 billion financial bonanza for the island republic.
"MCA Youth is not questioning the religious beliefs of any individual. Nevertheless, one’s personal beliefs should not be imposed in the workplace of politics. The growing trend towards conservatism in our country is becoming increasingly worrisome.
"Last week, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs), Senator Zulkifli Hasan remarked in Parliament that Jakim will consider a suggestion for convenience stores to use self-service machines to sell alcoholic beverages so that Muslim workers would not have to handle these items.
"Subsequently, Nufam also advocated for a universal prohibition of alcohol consumption on board flights - a proposal which will not bode positively for our aviation industry and downstream suppliers,".
Economic and business activities are objective issues which should not be entangled with personal beliefs, political stances, and other elements, said Saw, adding that they are closely related to people's livelihoods and rice bowls.
Religious beliefs involve personal piety and should be followed through with self-discipline and self-restraint under one’s religious teachings, rather than attempting to forbid or interfere with the religious professions and freedoms of others, she added. - The Vibes, March 12, 2024
