In a statement today, the ministry said it “accepted” the prime minister’s remarks and that it appreciated his constructive feedback.

It said that it “deeply regrets any confusion or misunderstanding that may have caused discomfort among the public,” adding that the ministry would learn from this incident and ensure similar occurrences would not happen again.

“The ministry sincerely regrets any inconvenience caused and will continue to strengthen communication and ensure continuous improvements in fulfilling its duties to the people and the nation,” it added.

The controversy erupted after Bersatu MP Mas Ermieyati Samsudin posted a video on Facebook last Saturday, asking why alcoholic beverages had been served at a government event. She said this breached cultural and constitutional norms.

Tourism, arts and culture minister Tiong King Sing, however, denied that alcohol had been served at a government-hosted gala dinner, saying it was organised by private sector partners to celebrate Malaysia’s first global travel event of its kind.

He said Tourism Malaysia merely used the dinner as a platform to launch the Visit Malaysia 2026 events calendar.

However, he later admitted that Tourism Malaysia was initially the organiser and that private sector players saw an opportunity to secure substantial business deals and took over the organisation of the dinner.