In a society where it's “orite” to be intoxicated with political power and easy money (rezeki) - but not alcohol - did a straight talking ex-UMNO MP expose the disturbing realities here behind the usual “noises” over beer and wine?
Make no mistake about it: in this country when “alcohol, religion and politics” meet there is bound to be more than just sparks; and that's exactly what happened after the country's flamboyant tourism, arts and culture minister Tiong King Sing found himself in the centre of another firestorm!
This time, it all started after images showing him and his guests holding glasses of wine and beer in a recent grand dinner gala hosted in conjunction with Tourism Malaysia’s Global Travel Meet went viral - sparking a severe public backlash.
Unsurprisingly, UMNO Youth chief Akmal Saleh was quick to lash out at the minister for allegedly allowing alcoholic beverages to be served in an official government function without any regard for protocols and (Muslim) sensitivities.
In his typical abrasive style Akmal trained his guns at the tourism minister and accosted him for being “stupid” before calling on PM Anwar to kick him out from the Cabinet if he was unable to provide a satisfactory answer.
However, DAP’s Lim Lip Eng had come to Tiong's defense, hitting back at the latter's critics for attempting to impose a narrow-minded agenda on a highly challenging multicultural and globally connected industry.
In fact, Tiong can be considered one of the best performers in the Madani cabinet raking in millions for the country in tourist dollars, not just from China, but also the uber rich Gulf states!
A cool “jaguh antarabangsa”… rather than a cocky “jaguh kampung?”
Meanwhile, it was also reported that PM Anwar Ibrahim had issued the minister a “stern warning” while reminding him that alcohol is banned at all government functions.
For the record, the tourism ministry had even expressed its regret over the incident and pledged to tighten monitoring and ensure that all future programmes under its purview strictly adhere to established guidelines and codes of conduct.
Incidentally, this latest bitter brouhaha over alcohol may have showcased the contrasting views in the country over a “hot button" subject underlining the challenges in a culturally diverse and pluralistic society such as Malaysia.
Furthermore, given that Tiong hails from Sarawak, some may even say that there is bound to be a perennial “tug-of-war” between the entrenched values in the peninsula and that in Borneo; but then again, even in many social functions in the peninsula, is it not a norm to serve beer and other alcoholic beverages to mark or celebrate an event?
On a more serious note, some observers may frame this as another display of majoritarian power attempting to impose their culture and beliefs on the minorities in the country; but hasn't Malaysia always suffered from an “identity crisis””, with the jury still out on whether it's a full Muslim country or a secular one?
But seriously, is the controversy over alcohol consumption really a religious issue?
Interestingly, it was the maverick ex-law minister Zaid Ibrahim, a Malay-Muslim himself, who put the issue in perspective when he opined that for many in this country, alcohol has come to symbolise Westernisation, moral decay, and loss of Malay-Muslim identity.
According to him, this is despite the fact that though the Quran prohibits alcohol, the issue here is rarely about the sin itself but more about visibility and symbolism where serving and consuming it is often portrayed as an affront to “Malay dignity!”
More of symbolism than sin?
Not mincing words, the prominent lawyer also claimed that ironically it has become a boundary marker of sorts where one can claim: “We may be corrupt, but we are still Muslims!”
Zaid then went on to ask candidly: “If drinking alcohol was really sinful, why would the country's predominantly Muslim government depend on “sin taxes”, which add up to around RM2bil annually from tobacco, alcohol and gambling, to fund the federal budget?
A hypocrisy “permitted” due to economic necessity?
In fact, the former UMNO lawmaker stressed that Islam's message was actually about justice, honesty, and compassion - and not about public shaming or performative purity.
As such, he contended that if people here were as intolerant of corruption as they are of a glass of wine (or beer) Malaysia would be a far more morally upright nation; he may be right but will any of the “pious” folks in PAS, UMNO and the other Malay-Muslim-centric parties agree?
In conclusion, the former BN lawmaker may have hit the bullseye when he summed up that all the hoo-ha was not about religion, but about “political ownership of Islam?” Could this be why many are often seen “tripping over themselves” to become the champions of the religion, especially when it comes to boisterously opposing anything that's “sinful” - be it wine, beer or bak kut teh?
Note: The truth is that no amount of instigation from UMNO and the opposition here is going to force the free spirited, hardworking and savvy Sarawakians from submitting to the toxic semenanjung (peninsula) politics. Cheers!
Main information source: Malay Mail, Facebook Akmal Saleh, FMT and Zaid Ibrahim X.
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