Tiong Denies Eating Pork Drinking Alcohol In Office

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Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing has denied allegations of him drinking alcohol and eating pork in office.
In a statement, Tiong cited the allegations circulated on WhatsApp, purportedly by an individual claiming to be a retired Health Ministry deputy director-general who served under several non-Muslim ministers.
Tiong said while he would typically ignore such rumours, this time, the message was not only blatantly false but also an attempt to incite racial hate.
“It had become too viral to go unaddressed and as it directly smears the country’s governance, it is necessary to address it to prevent any more people from mistaking it for truth,” he said.
Among others, Tiong said he was accused of not only eating pork and drinking alcohol in the office but also forcing the clean-up on Muslim cleaners or staff.
He also noted the anonymous individual had claimed to be informed of the allegations by current ministry staff.
“I cannot be sure of who is making up this rumour. But I urge the ministry’s staff to come forward to inform me in case the accuser has been abusing the comments of any civil servant.
“I am not afraid to be ridiculed for saying it, but the fact is, my office hasn’t got to hire any cleaners so far,” said Tiong.
Same meal orders
Contrary to the claims that he ate pork in office, Tiong said he is known for ordering almost the same meals all the time, including when hosting local guests.
“Whether dining by ourselves or hosting guests, it is either nasi lemak, biryani, or just KFC. It is only when we are hosting foreign guests such as those from China that we would order food from Chinese restaurants in hotels around Putrajaya.
“Which hotel’s Chinese restaurant’s food serves pork dishes? If the accusers know which one does, we would gladly like them to recommend them to us.
“As for the keeping of alcohol in the office, it is merely based on the gifts that we receive from overseas guests of various backgrounds and cultures.
“Out of courtesy, I accept them, but these gifts do not form my personal belongings,” he said.
Tiong explained that while he often cannot refuse such gifts, it would be inappropriate for him to take them home as it was given in an official event or capacity.
“As much as possible, we try our best to transfer such gifts to other recipients such as foreign officers or guests during dinners or casual events. What is wrong with all this?” he added.
The message also alluded to Tiong’s criticisms of Kedah’s alcohol sale ban, urging the Bintulu MP to correct the alleged situation in his ministry to gain the people's respect.
“Let me be clear to those with hidden self-agenda as I have shown all these baseless messages to my secretary-general and deputy minister, and revealed this ridiculous issue to the ministry in an internal meeting: I will not compromise with doing the right thing," he stressed.
He also challenged his critics to reveal themselves and meet with him at the ministry within two weeks to resolve the matter. - Mkini

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