Akmal Rekindles Bad Blood With Tiong Over Free Flow Wine At Gala Dinner Seeks Clarity From Motac S Top Brass

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Rightist UMNO Youth chief Datuk Muhamad Akmal Saleh has insisted that Tourism Malaysia was the official organiser of the recent Global Travel Meet gala dinner at Sunway Resort Hotel as per stated on invitation extended to industry players.
The firebrand race and religion defender has now sought clarification from the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry’s (MOTAC) secretary-general Datuk Shaharuddin Abu Sohot and Tourism Malaysia director-general (DG) Datuk Manoharan Periasamy over the matter.
This came after he alleged that Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has not answered his question as to when “official government functions can serve alcoholic beverages”.
“If this is allowed, then from now on all official government programnes can seek private companies to sponsor them to allow the serving of alcoholic beverages despite the events bearing logo of the government, government agencies and even government employees, right?” he penned on his Facebook page.

For the record, the six-term Bintulu MP had on yesterday (Oct 5) reiterated that the gala dinner was no longer organised or funded by MOTAC as it had been taken over by industry players who wanted to express their appreciation to the investors given the event had generated some RM420 mil in economic impact.
On that note, Tiong told Malaysiakini that his critics – including from PAS and UMNO – are welcome to inspect the event’s billings to verify that no taxpayers’ money was used on alcoholic beverages served that night.
In his stinging attack on Tiong earlier, Akmal had questioned “what kind of stupidity and insanity is this when official government functions can serve free flow alcohol”.
And if the YB Minister is afraid to answer, we ask the Ministry’s KSU (secretary-general) or the Tourism Malaysia DG to answer who gave permission for alcohol to be served at official government functions?

If the YB Minister cannot answer, we urge the government, especially PMX, to simply fire this minister.
That’s your business if you want to get drunk until you foam on the mouth at your own function but please respect the rules which have stated that alcohol is not allowed to be served at official government functions.
If you’re a minister yet still ignorant about the rules and sensitivities of Malaysians, then it’s better to just throw you out from the government cabinet.
Aside from the Merlimau state assemblyman, this latest Tourism Malaysia controversy has both become the talk of the town as well as weaponised by opposition-slant quarters to undermine the Madani government. – Oct 6,2025



- focus malaysia

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