Don't let extremist culture ruin the country, says Tiong

PETALING JAYA: An "extremist culture" that harms the nation and destroys the harmony of a plural society should not exist, says Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.

The Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister was commenting on the actions of PAS' Muhammad Fawwaz Muhammad Jan, who demanded that a beer promotion event at a mall in Penang be covered up.

Tiong said Malaysia is known for its multi-religious society that lives in peace and harmony.

He added it was sad that in the developing world, "a few parties still want the country to be seen as going backwards."

"This is an unhealthy phenomenon. It will not only result in our country being seen as unable to progress but it will also affect its tourism industry," he said.

Tiong said that Fawwaz, as Permatang Pauh MP, should understand that Malaysia is a multi-racial and multi-religious country.

"Malaysians have lived in harmony and tolerance for decades, don't destroy it in the blink of an eye," he said.

In a Facebook post on Saturday (Jan 14), Tiong said if race and religious issues persist, various industrial sectors could be affected as well as deter non-Muslim tourists from coming to Malaysia.

He added that Penang, where the incident occurred, is the main destination for tourists to Malaysia. "Many foreign tourists come to Penang to travel, visit historical places and enjoy their free time by drinking with family members and friends.

"The Penang state government should look at this issue again and at the same time, not turn its back on other races to maintain harmony in this country," he said.

Fawwaz, together with a few PAS members, had marched into a mall on Monday (Jan 9) and demanded that beer sales not be done openly, saying there had been complaints from Muslims.

The beer promotion was held in conjunction with Chinese New Year, with similar promotions held in other cities nationwide.