S'wak still frothing over booze row as DAP chief defends Tiong, slams SUPP
Published: Oct 12, 2025 11:43 AM
Updated: 2:43 PM
Sarawak continues to bubble over the alcohol row swirling around one of its native sons, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing, with state DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen coming to his defence and taking a jab at Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) in the process.
Chong (above) accused SUPP leaders of trying to mislead the public into thinking the state government freely serves - and foots the bill for - alcohol at official events, citing their boast that “We drink whenever we want.”
“Throughout my 20 years attending the Sarawak state dinners as an assemblyperson, not a single drop of alcohol was served in all those dinners.
“It seems the Sarawak state government also does not allow nor pay for alcoholic drinks to be served in state official dinners. I also do not think the SUPP leaders can ‘drink’ alcohol ‘whenever they want’ in those state dinners,” he wrote on Facebook.
The Padungan assemblyperson suggested that instead of ridiculing Tiong, SUPP should do something more productive - like getting the “Santubong” beer brand back on the shelves, helping local entrepreneurs, and keeping “narrow-minded religious extremism” from taking root in Sarawak.
Sarawak Deputy Premier Dr Sim Kui Hian
The controversy took a twist earlier when Deputy Premier and SUPP president Dr Sim Kui Hian sought to distinguish Sarawak from Peninsular Malaysia, highlighting the Land of the Hornbill’s relaxed stance on alcohol.
“Here, we just drink when we want to - it’s no big deal. That’s just our way of life,” he said.
But DAP’s Pending assemblyperson Violet Yong questioned Sim’s silence when Santubong beer was yanked off the market.
Last month, Zebrew Craft Beer - the brewery behind the local label - announced it was ending production and pulling Santubong beer from shelves “due to the overwhelming response and attention around the name of the beverage”.
The move came after backlash from some quarters, including Santubong MP and Women, Family and Community Development Minister Nancy Shukri.
Misplaced calls for resignation
Chong, meanwhile, argued that calls for Tiong’s resignation were misplaced, saying the minister had clarified in Parliament that the dinner where alcohol was served was not a government-funded event.
“That dinner was a private-sector-funded, and thus it is perfectly alright for him to attend. What's more, the dinner was a celebration for the Global Travel Meet event, which was projected to generate over RM420 million in business impact for the country.
“Such performances and direct benefits to the country should be the main focus, rather than other sentiments that are not constructive and has the tendency to divide our multicultural and multireligious country.”
The controversy took a twist earlier when Deputy Premier and SUPP president Dr Sim Kui Hian sought to distinguish Sarawak from Peninsular Malaysia, highlighting the Land of the Hornbill’s relaxed stance on alcohol.
“Here, we just drink when we want to - it’s no big deal. That’s just our way of life,” he said.
But DAP’s Pending assemblyperson Violet Yong questioned Sim’s silence when Santubong beer was yanked off the market.
Last month, Zebrew Craft Beer - the brewery behind the local label - announced it was ending production and pulling Santubong beer from shelves “due to the overwhelming response and attention around the name of the beverage”.
The move came after backlash from some quarters, including Santubong MP and Women, Family and Community Development Minister Nancy Shukri.
Misplaced calls for resignation
Chong, meanwhile, argued that calls for Tiong’s resignation were misplaced, saying the minister had clarified in Parliament that the dinner where alcohol was served was not a government-funded event.
“That dinner was a private-sector-funded, and thus it is perfectly alright for him to attend. What's more, the dinner was a celebration for the Global Travel Meet event, which was projected to generate over RM420 million in business impact for the country.
“Such performances and direct benefits to the country should be the main focus, rather than other sentiments that are not constructive and has the tendency to divide our multicultural and multireligious country.”
Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing during the dinner
He also reminded critics that Malaysia’s tourism sector has been on a roll under Tiong’s watch.
“Furthermore, since being appointed as the minister of tourism, Malaysia’s tourism industry made a powerful comeback since 2023, collectively delivering nearly RM300 billion in tourism receipts from 2023 to 2025, building from RM71.3 billion in 2023, soaring past RM100 billion in 2024, and projected to hit RM125 billion in 2025.”
Chong said that after Tiong’s explanation, continued calls by PAS and Perikatan Nasional for his resignation “only show these leaders will stop at nothing to smear and discredit the federal government, including ignoring any meritorious performance of a minister and playing up divisive racial sentiment”.
As for SUPP, he accused its leaders of pouring more fuel on the fire by stoking the same divisive narrative.
He also reminded critics that Malaysia’s tourism sector has been on a roll under Tiong’s watch.
“Furthermore, since being appointed as the minister of tourism, Malaysia’s tourism industry made a powerful comeback since 2023, collectively delivering nearly RM300 billion in tourism receipts from 2023 to 2025, building from RM71.3 billion in 2023, soaring past RM100 billion in 2024, and projected to hit RM125 billion in 2025.”
Chong said that after Tiong’s explanation, continued calls by PAS and Perikatan Nasional for his resignation “only show these leaders will stop at nothing to smear and discredit the federal government, including ignoring any meritorious performance of a minister and playing up divisive racial sentiment”.
As for SUPP, he accused its leaders of pouring more fuel on the fire by stoking the same divisive narrative.
Tiong's days in Cabinet power are numbered .
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