Prime Minister to be asked a Ministerial question tomorrow whether Idris Ahmad’s position on the Oktoberfest is the government’s official position, and if so, when the Cabinet took the decision
I have given notice to ask the Prime Minister, Ismail Sabri, a Ministerial question in Parliament tomorrow whether the position on the Oktoberfest as reflected in Idris Ahmad’s reply in Parliament last month was the Ismail Sabri government’s official position, and if so, when the Cabinet took the decision.
The question for Ismail Sabri’s answer during Ministerial question time is:
“Tuan Lim Kit Siang minta Perdana Menteri menyatakan samada pendirian Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Hal Ehwal Agama) mengenai Oktoberfest di Malaysia merupakan keputusan rasmi Kabinet dan jika ya, bilakah keputusan ini diambil.”
On Monday, I had accused the Ismail Sabri government of violating the nation-building principles and policies of the nation’s founding fathers as enunciated in the Malaysian Constitution and Rukun Negara by claiming that it is now opposed to Octoberfest.
This was not the policy of the government for 65 years since the achievement of Merdeka in 1957. Is Ismail Sabri’s “Keluarga Malaysia” campaign to be equated with a ban on Octobertfest?
Bapa Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, the second Prime Minister and the third Prime Minister, Tun Hussein Onn, would be utterly shocked at such fundamental betrayals if they are alive today.
When did the Cabinet take a position that the government is opposed to the Octoberfest?
The parliamentary answer from the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Idris Ahmad last month was as follows:
“Although non-Muslims are not prohibited from drinking alcohol, the government is of the opinion that allowing this festival to happen and making it open to the public should not happen as it will cause social problems, as alcohol is seen to affect the harmony, order and safety of the community.”
The Ismail Sabri government owes it to the people to cite when his Cabinet took the decision oto officially oppose the Octoberfest.
Idris Ahmad had played dumb to my questions on Monday.
I hope the Prime Minister will not play truant but will personally attend Parliament tomorrow to state his government’s official position on Octoberfest.
Let Ismail Sabri also answer whether he is aware that in the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2021, Malaysia is ranked No. 62 out of 180 countries surveyed – the lowest ranking for Malaysia since the annual TI CPI ranking started in 1995 – but all 61 countries which have better TI CPI than Malaysia allow Octoberfest in their countries, including Muslim countries like United Arab Emirates (ranked 24), Qatar (ranked 31), Saudi Arabia (ranked 55), Oman (ranked 56) and Jordan (ranked 60).
Even in Palestine, which is not in the 180 countries surveyed by TI, Octoberfest is celebrated.
Ismail Sabri should tell which country ban Octoberfest and why his government is more concerned about Oktoberfest than corruption?