‘Will Sabah’s Harvest Festival be banned one day too?’

Sabah DAP secretary Chan Foong Hin points out that consumption of rice wine is part and parcel of the celebration.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah DAP secretary Chan Foong Hin has expressed concern that the annual Harvest Festival celebrated in Sabah would one day be banned in light of what he called religious extremism surrounding the scraping of a beer festival in Kuala Lumpur.

Following the ban, debate is now surrounding another event, Oktoberfest, which was planned to be held in Selangor.

“Would the Harvest Festival be banned one day too?” asked Chan in a statement.

“At the rate religious radicalisation is going on, cultural celebrations like the Harvest Festival in Sabah, where consumption of rice wine is part and parcel of the programme, might be banned one day.

“It is simply absurd that religious extremists now are going to the extent of telling non-Muslims what they can and cannot do, particularly in terms of alcoholic beverages.”

Chan, who is also Sri Tanjung assemblyman, said banning cultural festivals in the country, such as the Harvest Festival, which is celebrated by the Kadazandusun Murut community in Sabah, would contravene the oaths contained in the Oath Stone.

In the Oath Stone (Batu Sumpah), he said the people of Sabah, during the formation of Malaysia, agreed to be part of the new nation, with one of the conditions being that the federal government must respect the natives’ traditions and culture.

“It’s about mutual respect and understanding among the different religious groups in this federation,” he said.

On the other hand, Chan said it was sad that despite the aspiration of turning Malaysia into a developed nation by 2020, the mindset of the government has gone totally the opposite way.

“What is the logic in the Immigration Department vowing to ban foreign tourists coming to Malaysia for the Oktoberfest?”

Chan said the Oktoberfest is a traditional German beer festival and it is not about sexual freedom or public nudity.

The festival, according to him, has been commercialised and is a gimmick for beer companies to boost their sale of beer.

“It is not targeting Muslims,” he said, adding non-Muslim Malaysians have the right whether to participate in Oktoberfest celebrations.

“I don’t think we have the kind of tourists they have in Germany. We are not the country hosting Oktoberfest. Only private companies wish to tie up for commercial purposes.

“Why should immigration be so scared about the Oktoberfest tourists?”

Chan said non-Muslim communities in the country are outraged as it seems like the authorities are trying to undermine their rights.

“Whether we drink alcohol or not is entirely up to us.

“As Malaysians, we don’t condone violence and who are we to say that those who consume alcohol will commit crimes and resort to violence? This is ridiculous,” he said.

As part of the country’s multiracial population, Chan said non-Muslims respect Muslims’ rights and beliefs.

“This should be a two-way thing. I am not saying they should respect the drunkards but at least respect the rights of non-Muslims, no matter what their choice is on this issue.”

Otherwise, this issue would be another “black eye” or embarrassing episode for Malaysia, he said.

The government reportedly banned the beer festival based on security reasons out of fear that it would be targeted by militants.

PAS was reported to have sought to also foil the Oktoberfest, said to be planned at the One Utama shopping mall here.

The Sarawak government, however, has announced it is open to Oktoberfest as it will draw tourists. It is mainly a food and culture festival, said its Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah. -FMT