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Monday, September 18, 2017

Split opinions among Harapan MPs over beer festival



Pakatan Harapan's non-Muslim MPs in the Federal Territory were up in arms following the cancellation of the Better Beer Festival, which was to have taken place on Oct 6 and 7 at Solaris Dutamas.
In a joint statement, four DAP and one PKR MP in Kuala Lumpur said they were shocked by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall's (DBKL) refusal to grant approval, even though a similar event had taken place in 2012 and 2016.
"We regret that a local government such as DBKL caused a distraction by trying to act like a religious champion," they said.
The statement was signed by Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai, Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun, Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, and Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng from DAP, as well as Wangsa Maju MP Tan Kee Kwong from PKR.
However, Amanah's Bukit Raja MP Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud said she was worried by the support for the event by her Kuala Lumpur colleagues.
"I think their protest to DBKL is more of the belief that they are defending the rights of the non-Muslims to partake alcohol and because the opposers of the festival cited religious reasons.
"My opposition to the festival would be that basically, it is a festival to encourage the consumption of alcohol.
"Just like cigarettes, alcoholism is a health hazard. Doctors know very well that alcoholism will lead to liver cirrhosis and alcoholism is an addiction as bad as drug addiction," said Siti Mariah, who is a medical doctor.
She noted that such festivals were not popular in the past, but gained traction due to politicisation, as some people attend as a protest to perceived efforts by Malay Muslims to curb their rights by imposing their values on non-Muslims.
"If every year we have this beer festival, it will only mean that more of citizens are on alcohol.
"Of course, the beer industry will celebrate. It is about money. Would you be happy that more people are drinking at first on a social basis and later there is a possibility and that it will lead to alcoholism?
"I am worried that more of our citizens will be alcoholics and the health and social hazards related to it. I would like in the future the sale of all hazardous substance be controlled just like cigarettes.
It does not mean that the non-Muslims cannot get access to their social drink. But when we promote any substance it means that we are encouraging it.
"As MPs do we want to promote alcoholic drinks? I know very well this festival does not involve Muslims but the non-Muslims are also our citizens," she said.
Earlier, in the joint statement by the five Kuala Lumpur MPs, they stressed that the Better Beer Festival 2017 was strictly for non-Muslims.
They also reminded that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had pledged to protect the rights of all races at the Malaysian Chinese Patriotic Rally last Saturday.
"We are of the opinion that 'protecting rights' would also mean guaranteeing the freedom of all races to practice their culture as enshrined in the social contract agreed upon by all in the Federal Constitution of 1957 and Malaysian Agreement of 1963," the statement said.

The DAP and PKR MPs said DBKL's decision has also affected tourism, and urged Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz to intervene.
"We also suggest that the Federal Territories minister (Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor) instruct DBKL to retract its decision to refuse approval," they said.
They urged Najib to ensure that his pledge to protect the rights of all races not be reduced to a false promise. - Mkini

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