The Better Beer Festival and misplaced priorities

MP SPEAKS | It's almost like hysteria, where rare exceptions are used to create overreaction from the masses to serve a political agenda.

I am talking about the flip-flop narratives, infamous U-turns by ruling politicians and incoherent statements about the annual craft beer festival.

The Better Beer Festival was expected to pull in some six thousand people at most.

But we have many more thousands who are upset that such an event was even considered in the country.

And when people are clamouring to find a plausible excuse, they would end up with ridiculous ones.

The police and ruling politicians are no exceptions.

After flirting with suggestions of "political sensitivity" and possibilities of unruly behaviour, the police now say the festival was banned as unidentified militants were planning to sabotage the event.

And this came after Bukit Aman counterterrorism division senior principal assistant director Ayub Khan Mydin Pitchay said he had "no idea" the festival was attracting militants.

I don't know what's running in the minds of the authorities and government officials, but we are certainly a big joke.

Weeks back a religious school was burnt down by a group of kids who were school dropouts.

They were heavy into drugs, jobless and carefully planned the arson attack.

But there is no one questioning the dysfunctional families or looking into the circumstances that pushed these children to indulge in criminal activities.

They need help but we have 'better' things to vent about, like the Better Beer festival.

Over the last few weeks, there were shocking news reports about incest cases in the country.

One that rocked the nation was about a father who raped his daughter 600 times.

The father didn't commit these heinous acts under intoxication but we are busy crafting possible rapes, free sex liaisons and a rise in criminal activities if the beer festival is allowed.

I can go on but I am sure you get my drift. Firstly, it's important to understand something before we jump to score brownie points or political mileage.

The event was supposed to be a beer-tasting festival as it makes craft beer from dozens of countries available in one venue.

It's certainly not a scenario where one gets free-flowing alcohol, drug abuse and illicit sex in a dark alley. This is not a Hollywood movie.

I am not dismissing the fact that the police have a role in maintaining peace but people smell a rat when they feel the police are playing a role in partisan politics.

The SEA Games just ended. We have held football matches in the country. The Merdeka Day parade draws large crowds and we have many more public events throughout the year.

We can't certainly hold any of these gatherings if we are afraid of a handful of unruly spectators or the possibility of a militant attack.

Our police have always risen to the occasion and kept these celebrations and sporting events safe.

Why is the annual craft beer festival any different?

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CHARLES SANTIAGO is the Member of Parliament for Klang.- Mkini