Kit Siang: Beer fest stance reduced MCA to a party without principles

DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang has slammed MCA over its stance on the Better Beer Festival 2017 after its president, Liow Tiong Lai said that the party had accepted Kuala Lumpur City Hall's (DBKL) decision to reject an application to organise the event.

"MCA has been reduced to a political party without principles, as well as a thoroughly indisciplined one, by the proposed Better Beer Festival event in Kuala Lumpur next month," Lim said in a statement today.

He said Liow seemed to be taking his double role in the short video "Citizens" seriously when he first opposed the ban on the event but endorsed it after a cabinet meeting yesterday.

Liow had said that he was informed that the decision was made for security reasons, as advised by the police.

"But the MCA is a thoroughly indisciplined political party, whose president is not respected even by the other MCA leaders, whether at national, state or local levels, who continue to say the very opposite of the stand of Liow, even blaming the DAP for 'strengthening' PAS to successfully oppose the Better Beer Festival!

"Have security and safety in Malaysia become so tenuous and perilous that the Better Beer Festival, which had been held for the past several years, has to be banned because of 'security' reasons?"

Lim also wondered whether this was the way to promote tourism in the country, if the government and the police could not guarantee the safety and security of localised events, such as the beer festival.

"Isn’t such a ban encouraging the extremists and fanatics to up their demands, even sending a signal to Islamic State supporters that Malaysia is a fertile ground for them to cultivate to spread their brand of bigotry, extremism and intolerance in Malaysia?"

As such, Lim urged the police to provide an explanation on the matter, on whether they had advised DBKL to ban the festival due to extremist and terrorist threats.

"DAP supports the professionalism of the police force and takes seriously the tasks of the police to fight crime and to ensure safety and security in Malaysia.

"The inspector-general of police, Mohamad Fuzi Harun, should not allow partisan politics to interfere with police professionalism and duties," added Lim.

The Better Beer Festival, an event to promote smaller breweries, has been taking place without much fanfare in Kuala Lumpur since 2011.

However, it came to national prominence after PAS central committee member Riduan Mohd Nor complained about it and said it would lead to reprisals from extremists.

Organisers Mybeer (M) Sdn Bhd said they had been informed that the event had to be cancelled this year due to political sensitivities.- Mkini