By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Sept 20: Santubong MP Dato Sri Nancy Shukri has told Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chief Chong Chieng Jen to stop politicising the “Santubong beer” issue, which she said had already been resolved.
In a Facebook post today, Nancy stressed that the company concerned had agreed to remove the product from shelves after realising it offended many constituents in Santubong, where the majority are Muslim.
“Why suddenly YB Chong raised the issue that has been decided by the company?” she questioned, adding that it was natural for her, as the elected representative, to safeguard the interests of her constituents.
Nancy further accused Chong of trying to stay politically relevant by championing issues outside his constituency.
“YB Chong has a lot more to do for the people in his constituency rather than interfering into issues that have already been decided by the company concerned.
“My only suggestion to YB Chong is to serve your people well. They need him more than the Santubong people,” she said.
She also backed Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap’s earlier statement, agreeing that the use of “Santubong” as a brand name for an alcoholic product was inappropriate given the demographic makeup of the constituency.
Nancy emphasised that the concern was first raised by Santubong constituents themselves, and she was simply fulfilling her duty as their representative.
Yesterday (Sept 19), Chong stated that the withdrawal of the Santubong beer following public backlash is a setback to Sarawak’s long-standing values of tolerance and harmony, describing Nancy’s objections to the beer’s name as “deeply disappointing”.
He argued that naming the beer ‘Santubong’ could instead be seen as a way of paying homage to the place and promoting Sarawak’s identity to a wider audience, similar to how products such as Borneo Fresh Pork or local tuak wine are marketed.
However, Yap was quick to point out that the beer was brewed in Sibu and that ‘Santubong’ was chosen as a brand name as it is an iconic Sarawak landmark tied to folklore, tourism and culture.
“The decision was misguided. If the brewer truly wanted to honour local heritage, it would have been far more appropriate to use a name closer to their home base in Sibu, where the beer is actually made.
“By using ‘Santubong’, which is also the name of a Muslim-majority constituency, the company showed insensitivity to local realities and caused unnecessary offence. This was not about protecting culture—it was about a careless marketing choice that could have been easily avoided,” he said. — DayakDaily
