Zahid should focus on getting rid of corruption, not giving lecture on morality, says Sarawak activist

 

KUCHING, October 7 2025: Sarawak activist Peter John Jaban has reminded Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to stop giving lectures on morality with regards to the consumption of alcohol at a private sector dinner where Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing was the guest of honour. 

 He said instead of giving lecture on morality,  Zahid should focus on getting rid of corruption, the real disease of Malaysia. 

“Why does a glass of beer at a private tourism dinner provoke national fury while corruption, abuse of power and bribery barely move the conscience of our leaders? 

“This is Malaysia’s greatest moral failure, we punish what’s visible and excuse what’s vile,” Peter said in a statement. 

He said Tiong, a Sarawakian Christian, attended a privately funded tourism gala that contributed RM420 million to Malaysia’s economy. 

“No taxpayers’ money was used, and no one was disrespected. Yet, Umno and PAS leaders turned a few glasses of beer into a “national insult”,” he said. 

Hed noted that Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh and other leaders demanded Tiong’s sacking, while PAS leaders screamed betrayal. 

“A private-sector event became a political circus overnight. 

 “Why there is a hypocrisy and double standards?” Peter asked. 

He said as former law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim once said that “condemning alcohol costs nothing, but condemning corruption costs careers.” 

Peter reminded that billions of ringgit are lost annually to leakages, abuse of power, and mismanagement while many high-profile corruption cases end in acquittals or DNAA (discharge not amounting to acquittal)  reinforcing the belief that Malaysia has two systems of law: one for the powerful, and another for the people. 

He said Malaysia’s moral crisis is not about alcohol, it is about corruption, hypocrisy, and misplaced priorities.

 

Promote needs of tourism industry, not entertain demands to sack Tiong, activist tells Anwar

 

KUCHING, October 7 2025: Sarawak activist Peter John Jaban (picture) is calling on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to promote the needs and profile of the tourism industry in Malaysia before even entertaining demands to sack Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing over the serving of alcohol at a private sector dinner hosted by the global industry partners. 

He is reminding lawmakers that, despite the need to act with tolerance and mutual respect to all races and religions, government in Malaysia is and should remain secular and that alcohol is enjoyed freely by many of the international visitors as a feature of multi-cultural Malaysia’s tourism offering.

 “We live in a multicultural society. Alcohol is neither banned nor indeed considered immoral by a large proportion of Malaysians.

“In fact, the fermenting and distilling of alcohol is an important part of the culture of many of our indigenous groups, including for ritual purposes,” he said in a statement in response to Anwar’s warning to Tiong during the federal cabinet meeting.

“We must respect all the cultures and religions of Malaysia, of course. But, Tiong has already clarified that this was a private sector dinner.

“The Malaysian Muslim taxpayers have not been asked to pay for the alcohol in this case. So why is this an issue for consideration by Cabinet? Do they not have more important issues to discuss?” Peter asked.

He went on to say: “We routinely serve alcohol to our many visitors to Malaysia, creating huge profits for our tourism industry for the good of the country.

“Langkawi island even provides alcohol duty free. So why should serving alcohol at a dinner for international guests, at the expense of the private sector, be an issue?

“This is an expectation for the citizens of some countries,” he said.

Peter asked why should it even be an issue to have people drinking in the same room as a Muslim?

“If that is the case, we must either ban alcohol in all our international hotels and see the end of our tourism sector, or else ban all Muslims from working in these establishments,” he said.

“We must not normalise this kind of discourse in our parliament in which our lawmakers are using their Islamic values to increase their own profile.

“Even Sarawak is not immune. We have had a similar issue here over a locally-produced beer

brand named after one of our most recognisable natural features.

“Santubong is not a race, a religion or even a community.

“It is, instead, a peninsula and more importantly an iconic mountain, at the foot of which both Chinese and Hindu archaeological artefacts, dating back to the 7th Century, have been uncovered.

“It certainly does not belong to one single religious group in the state and nor should we allow it to,” he added.

“I call on our lawmakers to focus on the issues and to stop reverting to race and religion as their main talking points. If no offence was intended, then perhaps none should be taken.

“We must, as Malaysians, accept the views of the many cultures who visit our country and enjoy our hospitality if we expect to profit from their contribution to our economy.

“Anything else is just hypocrisy. And equally we must respect the multicultural basis of the country we all share,” he said.

 

Under MA63, no one party can claim to dominate the other parties, reiterates Sharifah Hasidah

 

KUCHING, October 7 2025: Sarawak’s de facto deputy law minister Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali has reiterated that no one party can claim to dominate the others in the Federation of Malaysia, reasoning that the country was formed on the basis of partnership as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). 

Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali with other invited quests at the International Legal Talk Series Programme

She said MA63 is not just a historical document, but it is the cornerstone of the formation of the federation, including the conditions that were carefully negotiated until Malaysia was born as a nation.

“Therefore, MA63 is the most important document for Malaysia,” she said at the International Legal Talk Series Programme, according to Sarawak Public Communications Unit (Ukas), today.

She said MA63 has become a symbol of equal partnership that has strengthened the position and rights of Sarawak and Sabah in the federation since its establishment over six decades ago.

The deputy minister in the Premier's Department (Law, MA63 and State-Federal Relations) said that MA63 is not just a historical document, but rather the foundation of the federal system that guarantees the autonomy, rights and interests of this state.

“Our federation is not built on the basis of one party dominating the other, but is based on partnership.

“It does not demand uniformity, but rather respects diversity and is not based on centralisation of power but a balance of protection that safeguards the rights and interests of Sarawak and Sabah for future generations,” she stressed.

Sharifah Hasidah also explained that MA63 is a continuing commitment that serves as a guide for the government in ensuring that the country’s policies and laws remain in line with the principle of equal partners.

She also noted that various important successes have been achieved as a result of the negotiations between the state and the federal governments, including amendments to Article 1(2) and Article 160(2) of the Federal Constitution.

The ceremony was also attended by the deputy chairman of the Sarawak Sovereign Wealth Future Fund Board, Datuk Patinggi Leonard Linggi Tun Jugah, Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department (Corporate Affairs, Information and UKAS), Datuk Abdullah Saidol, Sarawak Attorney General Datuk Sri Saferi Ali and Sabah Attorney General Datuk Brenndon Keith Soh.

Also present were two renowned academic figures, Professor Michael Leigh and Professor Andrew Harding who discussed the evolution of federalism, constitutional rights and the role of MA63 in strengthening the position of Sarawak and Sabah at the national level.