.jpg)
By Mihar Dias (C) Copyright November 2023
Ah, the age-old spectacle of public figures and federal ministers embracing their inner party animals!
Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing's recent escapade has left many questioning the suitability of a minister with a penchant for public inebriation.
Wan Saiful Wan Jan didn't mince words when he pointed out that getting plastered in public is an equal-opportunity embarrassment, regardless of one's religious affiliations.
He rightly noted that this isn't about religious sensitivity but basic decorum and morality. It's a bit like saying, “Even if the minister were a unicorn enthusiast, getting sloshed in public doesn't quite scream leadership material.”
One can't help but wonder about the slippery slope here. If it's okay for a minister to be visibly inebriated, would it be equally acceptable for a non-Muslim civil servant or senior official to join the tipsy ranks? Perhaps government meetings will start featuring a drinks trolley instead of coffee.
Tiong's defense, “I'm not Muslim, what's wrong if I drink alcohol?” feels like a half-baked attempt at justifying the behavior.
It's akin to saying, "I'm not a vegetarian, so why can't I wrestle a wild boar at a vegan festival?"
The logic leaves a lot to be desired.
Mas Ermieyati Samsudin's sarcastic reprimand hit the nail on the head. If this is how the tourism minister plans to introduce Malaysia, then brace yourselves for a slew of travel brochures featuring images of inebriated ministers stumbling through festivals.
In the end, one has to wonder whether we need a "Minister of Sobriety" to keep our public officials in check. By the way this would apply across the board, for all religious denominations.
After all, leadership and inebriation don't mix well, and the only "crazy" thing here might be the idea that this behavior is befitting of a federal minister.
Finally, Datuk Seri Tiong, accept it, when you are a Federal Minister of Tourism your drunken escapade will not go unnoticed and will be heavily criticised. So, behave!
Mihar Dias 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!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact Newswav.