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KUCHING, June 30: Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (Motac) Dato Seri Tiong King Sing urged PAS leaders to learn from powerful and influential Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia.
According to Tiong in a Facebook post yesterday (June 29), Saudi Arabia is a developed country and has made strides in the tourism sector without denying the rights of people from different religions.
“The recent incident involving a non-Muslim woman being compounded by the local council in Kota Bharu for dressing indecently should not be repeated as it will not only impact the locals and tourists but also affect the state’s tourism sector,” he said.
He reminded all, regardless of party, religion or race, that Malaysia is a nation of society.
“If the woman were not wearing anything, it would be a different matter. In addition, at that time, she was in her own business premises and not in public areas such as government buildings that require the public to comply with the dress code,” he said.
Tiong pointed out that as a non-Muslim, he never denied or questioned any religion or race in this country, but as Malaysians who love the country and respect and love each other and celebrate diversity, everyone needs to support the Federal Constitution, which is the basis of Malaysia’s strength all this time.
He said Article 3(1) of the Federal Constitution provides that Islam is the religion of the Federation, but other religions may be practised in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation.
“Article 8 also clearly stated that equality is protected and any discrimination is prohibited, including on the grounds of religion, descent, place of birth, and gender.
“This reflects that Malaysia is a peaceful multi-religious and -racial country,” he added. — DayakDaily
