PETALING JAYA: Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing (pic) has dismissed claims that Muslim guests left the Global Travel Meet gala dinner early due to alcohol being served, calling the allegation “baseless and misleading”.
He said Tou-rism Malaysia had only played a facilitating role, using the event as a chance to promote the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) calendar.
“Tourism Malaysia borrowed the platform, as it provided an opportunity to introduce Malaysia to the world through close collaboration with industry players,” he said.
Tiong was responding to allegations by Masjid Tanah MP Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, who claimed that alcohol was served at the dinner, prompting Muslim guests to leave.
“Initially, yes, we were the main organiser and took the lead in promoting the event. But the industry players and private sector soon realised they could secure substantial business deals during the Global Travel Meet.
“Recognising this unexpected opportunity, they were excited and offered to take over and host the gala dinner themselves. As a result, both international buyers and local purchasers began buying travel packages in large quantities, with total business transactions reaching RM420mil.
“The Tourism Malaysia director-general sought my consent on this change and, of course, I agreed because it helped save government expenditure,” he said in a Facebook post.
He stressed that Tourism Malaysia’s focus was on coordinating arts and cultural performances, and launching the VM2026 Calendar of Events that night.
