Malaysian minister called to resign after boozy dinner reignites culture wars
Indignation is high in the Muslim-majority country, with conservative party Umno warning against ‘normalising alcohol’
Malaysia has taken a conservative tilt in recent years, with Anwar’s government seeking support from the Malay-Muslim majority that accounts for about 60 per cent of the country’s 34 million population.
That constituency broadly rejected his multicultural political alliance at the general election in 2022, backing an ethno-nationalist opposition bloc instead. Since then, critics say Anwar has been pushed rightward to avoid alienating a resurgent conservative voting bloc.
The latest controversy centres on Tourism Minister Tiong King Sing, who has been accused by critics on both sides of the political divide of disrespecting Malay sensibilities and Islam’s status as the country’s official religion by allowing the serving of alcohol at the Global Travel Meet 2025 gala dinner last week.
Alcoholic drinks are prohibited at official government events in Malaysia.
The Global Travel Meet 2025 website listed Tourism Malaysia, the government’s tourism promotion agency, as the event organiser.