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By Mihar Dias October 2025
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has spoken. No alcohol at any official government function — not before, not after, not “just one glass of wine when the emcee has gone home.” It’s not religion, he said. It’s national policy. Period. https://newswav.com/A2510_y0Bfci?s=A_Oud0SyL&language=en
And just like that, the cork has been firmly re-inserted into the bottle.
The message to Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing could not have been clearer: this isn’t about whether the drinks were served after the official speeches. It’s about the optics of it being at all.
You can’t say the show’s over and then pop open the bubbly under the same government banner. That’s like saying the school assembly is over, but we’ll continue detention in the same hall with karaoke.
Anwar, to his credit, drew a clean, uncompromising line. Not because he wants to police private enjoyment — he made no sermon about faith or moral righteousness — but because national policy must be consistent. The government’s image, after all, doesn’t clock out when the official programme ends.
To many, that might sound overly stiff, especially when Malaysia is trying to woo international investors and tourists who think a glass of wine with dinner is as normal as sambal with nasi lemak.
Housing Minister Nga Kor Ming was quick to defend the dinner as a “commercial” affair that brought in RM2 billion in potential deals. https://newswav.com/A2510_y0Bfci?s=A_Oud0SyL&language=en
And he’s not wrong — the tourism sector thrives on openness and cultural sensitivity.
But here’s the rub: when a government logo appears on a backdrop, it ceases to be a “private affair.”
The moment public officials raise a glass under the national flag — even if the wine is privately funded — it sends a mixed message. For a government that’s long struggled with perception battles over double standards, this was a photo opportunity that aged like sour grape juice.
Tiong, no stranger to controversy, probably thought it was a pragmatic gesture — let the global guests drink, let the local hosts smile politely, and let commerce flow like champagne.
But Malaysia’s political ecosystem doesn’t work like that. Every drop of alcohol in a government event becomes a drop of political kerosene.
This isn’t the first time Malaysia has wrestled with this balancing act between policy and practice. We’ve hosted Formula One, international expos, and travel fairs where glasses have quietly clinked in the background.
But in an age of social media, what was once discreet is now viral within minutes. Optics matter — perhaps more than outcomes.
Nga Kor Ming’s call to “not blow the matter out of proportion” makes sense from a tourism standpoint. https://newswav.com/A2510_y0Bfci?s=A_Oud0SyL&language=en
But politically, the damage was already done. The prime minister’s reprimand wasn’t just about one dinner. It was about discipline — a reminder that Cabinet members don’t get to interpret “policy” like a buffet menu.
So yes, Tiong has been served — not wine, but a warning. https://newswav.com/A2510_y0Bfci?s=A_Oud0SyL&language=en
And as much as some might argue that this decision might make Malaysia look “uptight” to foreign guests, there’s a certain clarity that international partners can respect: in Malaysia, government events are clean and dry.
You want to drink? Fine. But do it outside the crest and away from the coat of arms.
Anwar’s tone was firm, almost paternal: “Negligence will not be tolerated.”
That’s not just directed at one minister, but an entire government apparatus that sometimes mistakes informality for inclusivity.
So, lesson learned: in Putrajaya’s new order, there’s no room for creative interpretations of “after hours.” When the PM says no alcohol, he doesn’t mean except for networking.
For Tiong, perhaps it’s time to trade that glass of Merlot for a tall glass of teh tarik. After all, in Malaysia, the real deals — and the real gossip — often happen over a steaming cup of that.
End of story.
Mihar Dias (mihardias@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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