Distancing the ministry from claims that alcoholic beverages were served and caused discomfort to Muslim guests, the minister, Tiong King Sing, said the dinner was organised by private sector partners to celebrate Malaysia’s first global travel event of its kind.
Tiong said Tourism Malaysia merely used the dinner as a platform to launch the Visit Malaysia 2026 events calendar.
“Tourism Malaysia was only responsible for organising the Global Travel Meet, which generated an economic impact of RM420 million.
“The dinner that Mas Ermieyati (Samsudin) made an issue of was an initiative by industry and private sector players.
“If YB Masjid Tanah does not share the same enthusiasm, that is acceptable, but it should not undermine this good initiative with actions that verge on sabotage,” he said in a statement.
Bersatu’s Mas Ermieyati had posted a video on Facebook today questioning why alcoholic beverages were served at a government event, saying this breached cultural and constitutional norms.
“Our official principle and practice is to not serve alcohol openly at official government events, in compliance with the constitution and religious sensitivities.
“Official government events have to consider the sensitivities of Muslims, who form the majority of Malaysians,” she said.
Tiong warned against misusing the Federal Constitution to mislead the public, noting that informal industry events are not linked to constitutional matters.
“Issuing statements without understanding the facts is not only misleading, but also reflects ignorance.
“If trivial issues like this continue to be blown out of proportion, it will only raise doubts and undermine international confidence in Malaysia. Ultimately, who will dare to visit our country?” he said.
He urged Mas Ermieyati to focus on initiatives that boost economic growth, tourism, and Malaysia’s global image, and not magnify minor misunderstandings.
“YB Masjid Tanah has a responsibility to also promote tourism in the country, particularly in the state and areas that you represent,” he said.