PAS challenge to Pakatan Harapan parties over beer fest

PAS today challenged component parties of the opposition Pakatan Harapan pact to state their stand on the beer fest scheduled to be held in the federal capital next month.

PAS Youth vice-chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari said their remaining silent would indicate that they were in cahoots with DAP which he claimed had defended the organisation of the event.

"It will also show that DAP is the real leader of Pakatan Harapan," he said in a statement published on the PAS Facebook account.

Ahmad Fadhli said the organisation of the beer fest was seen as an intentional affront to religious sensitivities in the country, particularly when the annual event since 2012 was being dubbed as "The Biggest Celebration of the Craft Beer Revolution in Malaysia".

"As a country that has Islam as the official religion, as enshrined in the Federal Constitution, Malaysia should not disparage the sanctity with such freedom.

"Although consuming alcoholic drinks is the right of non-Muslims who make up a section of the community, making the event a festival should not be allowed in the country. It does not reflect the reality of the culture of Malaysia, nor the region," he said.

Ahmad Fadhli said many countries and communities were beginning to realise the undesirable effects of consuming alcoholic drinks or activities related to it.

In KOTA BHARU, Kelantan PAS secretary Datuk Che Abdullah Mat Nawi said DAP clearly did not respect the sensitivities of Muslims when it continued to support the beer fest.

Che Abdullah, who is also Kelantan Agriculture, Agro-based Industry, Biotechnology and Green Technology Committee chairman, said organising a festival where alcoholic drinks were consumed was inappropriate because the majority of the people in the country were Muslims.

"When we argue on the basis of a plural society, it means every Malaysian should respect each others' religions. Islam does not prohibit non-Muslims from consuming alcoholis drinks, but if they are to organise a beer fest, they are not being sensitive towards what is prohibited in Islam.

"This is because the constitution has clearly placed Islam as the official religion and the majority of the people in this country are Muslims," he said when met at his office at the Kota Darul Naim Complex here, today.

Yesterday, Selangor DAP vice-chairman Datuk Teng Chang Khim was quoted as saying that Malaysia was a democratic country, and all parties were entitled to organise any activity as long as it was not illegal.

Teng was also reported to have said that PAS should understand that Malaysia had a plural society and did not comprise people from PAS.

Che Abdullah also slammed Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) leaders for remaining silent on the issue, despite previously claiming that the party also fought for the principles of Islam.

-- BERNAMA