PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today issues a stern warning to Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing and the relevant ministry to ensure that the mistake of serving alcohol at official government events is not repeated.
He said the ministry's explanation that liquor was only served after the official event is over is inappropriate because the government's policy strictly does not allow it to be served at all.
"The explanation from MOTAC (Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture) is that this is after the official event is over, but the venue and ceremony are the same.
"We have given a stern warning to the Minister and the Ministry not to repeat this mistake even though the explanation is that the program is over but it is not appropriate at all," he said as reported by Bernama.
The Prime Minister said this to Bernama and RTM at the Bunga Raya Complex after sending off Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif who had completed an official visit to Malaysia.
Tiong had earlier has dismissed as unfounded allegations that Muslim guests walked out of a tourism dinner due to the presence of alcoholic beverages, asserting that the event in question was not under the purview of Tourism Malaysia.
The claims, made by Masjid Tanah MP Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, were “completely baseless and misleading”, Tiong said, clarifying that the dinner was hosted by private sector participants involved in the Global Travel Meet — not Tourism Malaysia.
“Tourism Malaysia was only responsible for organising the two-and-a-half-day Global Travel Meet, which generated an estimated RM420 million in economic impact,” he said in a statement published via Facebook. - October 7, 2025
