PETALING JAYA: PAS lawmaker for Permatang Pauh, Muhammad Fawwaz Muhammad Jan, should stop the “extremist culture” that harms the nation and destroys the harmony of a plural society, says the Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said Malaysia had always been a multi-religious society that lived in peace and harmony, and all citizens needed to acknowledge and be proud of this unique aspect of the country.
“However, what is sad is that, in a world that is rapidly moving forward to ‘digital civilisation’, there are still a few parties that want the country to go backwards.
“This is an unhealthy phenomenon. It will not only result in our country being seen as stagnant and unable to progress; it will also affect the country’s tourism industry,” he said in response to a Jan 9 incident where Fawwaz and several PAS members went to the Sunway Carnival Mall at Seberang Jaya, Butterworth, to ask the mall to “conceal” its beer promotion activity at its central atrium to respect Muslim sensitivities.
Tiong said that Fawwaz should better understand Malaysia’s diverse makeup and not stir up unease in a pluralistic country.
“Malaysians have lived in harmony and tolerance for decades; don’t destroy it in the blink of an eye just because of insensitive or ill-considered actions,” he said.
He also said if every issue was viewed from the standpoint of religion and race, then it would cause difficulties for various industrial and business sectors, other than affecting the image of Malaysia as a tourist destination.
He lamented that foreign travellers would consider Malaysia an extremist country if some of its people continued behaving like this.
“Penang is the main tourist destination in our country. We welcome tourists from all over the world every year to Penang. Many foreign tourists come to Penang to visit historical places and enjoy their free time by chilling with drinks with family and friends.
“Therefore, the Penang state government must reconsider this issue while, at the same time, not turn its back on other races to maintain harmony in this country,” he said.
Fawwaz had reportedly marched into the mall last Monday and demanded that beer sales not be done openly, citing “complaints from Muslims” as a reason.
The beer promotion was held in conjunction with the upcoming Chinese New Year, with similar campaigns being held in other towns nationwide.
