DATUK Seri Tiong King Sing has expressed deep regret over the confusion surrounding the serving of alcohol at the Global Travel Meet gala dinner, but stopped short of issuing an apology.
The Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister admitted that the misunderstanding arose from not clarifying that the event was organised by the private sector, namely tourism industry players.
“The only mistake was not announcing during the dinner that it was no longer an official event, even though the Tourism Malaysia logo appeared on the backdrop, which was later shared on Facebook and TikTok,” he told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
“I want to stress again that it was a private function, not an official government event. Therefore, compliance with Service Circular 3/2003 does not apply, and the issue of alcohol being served should not have been raised.”
Tiong said the ministry is fully aware of the circular and the sensitivities surrounding alcohol being served at official functions.
“The ministry has organised many events in the past two or three years, and was alcohol ever served? No, because we are aware,” he said, citing the recent launch of Visit Malaysia 2026 in Melaka as an example.
Wan Hassan Mohd Ramli (PN-Dungun) had questioned the use of Tourism Malaysia invitation letters for the event, and called on Tiong to apologise.
In response, Tiong outlined the timeline leading up to the gala dinner on Oct 1.
He said the organisers had approached the ministry in late July and early August seeking support, as it was the first time the event was being hosted in Malaysia by industry players.
The ministry agreed to participate in the exhibition and began discussions with the organisers.
Initially, the ministry took the lead, with organisers saying they would take over subsequently.
Tiong said the ministry issued invitation letters on Sept 24 for the dinner, which was initially expected to secure RM50mil to RM60mil in tour package deals.
“However, by Oct 1, the organisers had secured more than RM100mil in deals and informed us that they would take over the event.”
Tiong acknowledged that he should have clarified during the dinner that the event was a private sector function.
“I, along with the ministry, take full responsibility and express deep regret for any confusion or inconvenience caused,” he said, adding that the ministry appreciated the Prime Minister’s advice on the matter.
He stressed that there was no intention to offend Muslims and urged that the matter not be politicised.
In response to Datuk Seri Doris Sophia Brodie (GPS-Sri Aman), Tiong said the event successfully secured RM420mil in deals, including RM80mil in Muslim tour packages to Malaysia.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim reminded Tiong and his ministry that serving alcohol at government events must never happen again – The Star
