If you think the kerfuffle involving alcohol being served at a gala organised (or allegedly organised — the details remain fuzzy) by the Tourism Ministry is over after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim issued a “stern warning” to ensure it never happens again — think again.
The controversy is far from over.
In fact, it has now taken flight — literally.
Act 1: The Gala That Sparked It All
It all began when several photos went viral showing Tourism Minister Tiong King Sing and his guests holding glasses of wine and beer at an event organised in conjunction with the Global Travel Meet programme.
The public uproar was loud enough that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim himself stepped in. Speaking to Bernama and RTM, he issued a clear rebuke:
“MOTAC explained that the alcohol was served after the official event ended. But it was still within the same venue and part of the same event.
We have issued a stern warning to the Minister and the Ministry. This mistake must not be repeated.”
Anwar went further, warning all government leaders not to take the matter lightly:
“There is no room for negligence on this issue.”
It was, in short, the kind of statement designed to draw a line under the controversy.
But in politics — especially in Malaysia — controversies don’t end just because the prime minister says so.
Act 2: When the Opposition Smells Blood
Barely days later, Perikatan Nasional MP Hasnizan Harun (Hulu Selangor) stood up in Parliament to demand that Malaysia Airlines stop serving alcohol on its flights.
Debating the 2026 Supply Bill, Hasnizan said:
“I’ve seen for myself the dilemma faced by Muslim flight attendants forced to serve something that is clearly haram in Islam. Passengers, too, are uncomfortable.”
He insisted that this was not about denying anyone’s rights but about “respecting the sensitivities of the majority.”
Sound familiar?
It should — because this exact playbook was run once before, in 2017, when PAS Youth raised the same issue after a drunk passenger forced a MAS plane to turn back to Melbourne.
This time, though, the call didn’t emerge in a vacuum.
It came riding on the coattails of an existing storm — the Tiong King Sing gala fiasco.
And that, precisely, is what makes it politically powerful.
Act 3: Make Content While the Hype Shines
As the saying goes, “Make hay while the sun shines.”
In the political economy of today, that translates to:
“Make content while the hype shines.”
Politics today runs on the same rules as social media.
There are two kinds of players:
- Those at the top, who can create hype, and
- Those trying to get to the top, who can only use the hype created by those at the top, to create their own hype, so that they can topple those at the top and take their position.
The government — by virtue of holding power — naturally commands the public’s attention. Every scandal, every slip-up, every viral photo involving ministers instantly becomes headline material.
The opposition, meanwhile, can’t generate that level of attention on their own.
But they can — and must — hijack existing hype.
That’s what we’re seeing here.
The government lit the match with the gala incident.
The opposition fanned the flames by extending the controversy to MAS flights.
It’s strategic. It’s opportunistic. And in political terms, it’s effective.
Act 4: The Real Game — Attention, Not Morality
Some may ask: if the opposition truly cared about this issue, why didn’t they raise it when they were in power under Muhyiddin Yassin or Ismail Sabri?
The answer: because this isn’t really about alcohol.
It’s about attention.
In politics, attention is power.
And power is what every politician — government or opposition — is ultimately after.
The government gains power by commanding attention.
The opposition gains momentum by stealing it.
So when Anwar publicly reprimanded Tiong King Sing, that moment — meant to show moral leadership — actually became political fuel for the opposition.
They seized the issue, reframed it around “Islamic values” and “majority sensitivities,” and ensured that the conversation didn’t end with Anwar’s warning — it just evolved.
That’s the genius of modern politics: knowing how to turn someone else’s PR crisis into your own opportunity.
Act 5: The Hypocrisy Trap
Now, suppose PAS or Perikatan Nasional actually come to power one day.
Will they ban alcohol on MAS flights?
Don’t count on it.
Because once in power, the same rules apply — just in reverse.
Now they’ll be the ones in the spotlight, the ones whose mistakes can be hyped, the ones who must manage attention instead of hijacking it.
In other words, what this means is that even if PAS itself gains power ( touch wood, throw some salt over my shoulder), don't expect that alcohol will be banned from MAS's flight.
Instead what it will do is see whether doing so will gain the attention of the people in way that can be translated as the support of the people and ensure that pas will continue to win elections time and time again.
If the answer is yes, banning alcohol in mas flights will lead to electoral victory, then and only the will PAS ban alcohol in flights. If not, it will just say that it respects the rights of minority and will not enforce its belief on them.
This is basically the game of politics and how the hype economy works.
The game isn’t about keeping promises.
It’s about winning attention, which becomes winning elections, which ensures staying in power.
Principles are optional.
Popularity is not.
Act 6: The Political Attention Economy
In the end, the MAS alcohol debate is not really about faith, rights, or policy.
It’s about the attention economy of politics — a game where every controversy becomes content, and every player is a content creator.
The tourism gala created the spark.
Anwar’s warning gave it credibility.
The opposition turned it into a campaign theme.
And the rest of us?
We just keep scrolling, sharing, and debating — feeding the machine that makes politics today less about governance, and more about content creation.
So yes — make content while the hype shines.
Because in Malaysia’s political arena, that’s how you stay relevant,
and relevancy, not righteousness, is what keeps you in power.
TheRealNehruism (nehru.sathiamoorthy@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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