By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Oct 5: Federal Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture Dato Seri Tiong King Sing has denied claims by Melaka’s Masjid Tanah MP Mas Ermieyati Samsudin about alcohol being served at a government event, stating the dinner was a private industry initiative, not a government function.
In a Facebook post on Oct 4, he described the claim as ‘completely unfounded and highly misleading’—explaining that Tourism Malaysia was only responsible for organising the Global Travel Meet over the course of two and a half days.
The event generated an economic impact worth RM420 million, and the dinner was organised by private sector partners to celebrate Malaysia’s first global travel event of its kind.
“They were genuinely excited that, for the first time, we had taken the initiative to organise a global-level event of this nature. In that spirit, they took it upon themselves to sponsor and host an appreciation dinner for their international industry partners,” he said.
He then said if Mas Ermieyati did not share the same enthusiasm, then it was her prerogative—but it was unacceptable of her to sabotage these good efforts and initiatives.
Tiong, who is also the assemblyman for Dudong and MP for Bintulu, urged Mas Ermieyati not to misuse the Federal Constitution to confuse the public, as events of an unofficial nature like this have no relevance to such matters.
“MOTAC (Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture) has always respected Malaysia’s cultural and religious diversity and will never condone the distortion of facts.
“At the dinner, the organisers provided sufficient non-alcoholic beverage options, in addition to catering to the diverse needs of international guests, to ensure the occasion was celebrated inclusively.
“I also call upon the Masjid Tanah MP to focus on matters that truly drive national progress—ensuring sustainable economic growth, where the tourism sector can serve as a catalyst for job creation and foreign exchange earnings.
“Through the implementation of Visit Malaysia Year 2026, we can elevate our national image to greater heights. More importantly, as a representative, you also bear the responsibility of promoting tourism within our own country—especially in the state and constituency you represent.” — DayakDaily
