KUCHING, Nov 3: Malaysian Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (MOTAC) Dato Seri Tiong King Sing has called on Tasek Gelugor MP Datuk Seri Wan Saiful Wan Jan to focus on his own graft case instead of painting the former as a ‘drunkard’.
Tiong said the opposition lawmaker from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) is taking advantage by targeting his ‘drinking’ image and inciting the public to debate whether or not he was drunk.
“I wish to remind the Bersatu lawmaker not to meddle in others’ affairs to the extent that he could not see his own problems, and if he wishes to criticise others, he should look in the mirror first.
“Explain to the rakyat (people) how you could be charged with 18 counts of money laundering as reported in the media,” he said in a Facebook video post uploaded today.
In the video, Tiong’s voice could be heard explaining that the scenes of him drinking and dancing at a certain event were to bring joy to the celebrations and events he attended.
“When playing with children, I would dance as if I am drunk in order to have fun with them, but what’s wrong with that?
“And why is it that you (Wan Saiful), as a Muslim, seem like (you’re) forcing the non-Muslims to follow your culture? Why can’t you respect ours (culture)?
“Prove to me that I was drunk, and then you can question (my behaviour). If I am indeed drunk, is that wrong? Do not think that you are so great in politics.
“I reserve my right to take any action against you if you continue to condemn me,” he added.
Tiong, who is the president of the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), a component party of the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition, further advised Wan Saiful not to bring up irrelevant matters to divert the public’s attention from his own controversy by inflicting others.
On Nov 1, Wan Saiful in a post uploaded on Facebook at 11.26am, wrote, “A drunk minister is a bad manner regardless of religion”.
The post was accompanied with a video of Tiong addressing criticism levelled against him for his participation in alcohol consumption and dancing during a festival celebration, in the Dewan Rakyat on Oct 31.
“The tourism minister should not play with religious sentiments for personal gain. Getting drunk in public is bad manners regardless of religion or race.
“This is not a religious issue. But this is a moral issue as a leader. Even an atheist minister, if he is drunk in public, it is still a bad thing and does not suit the trust as a minister.
“This is also an issue of ethical behavior as a Minister who is the head of civil servants in a Ministry. If any public servant or non-Muslim chief secretary (KSU) gets drunk in public after this, is this acceptable?
“To me, using the excuse that he is not a Muslim shows that he deliberately wants to play Islam as a political tool to protect his own interests,” Wan Saiful wrote. — DayakDaily
