Tiong admits error in not informing event was handled by private sector
Malaysiakini Team
Published: Oct 9, 2025 2:06 PM
Updated: 5:06 PM
PARLIAMENT | Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing has acknowledged that he erred in not informing that Tourism Malaysia’s Global Travel Meet event on Oct 1 was handled by the private sector, not the government.
This, he said, had contributed to the misunderstanding which led the public to think that Tourism Malaysia had organised the event, which drew criticism over the serving of alcohol.
“Initially, the Global Travel Meet event was an official government event. However, to save costs, we had discussions with industry players to foot the bill.
“After they managed to procure over RM420 million, we let them take over the event. So, it became a private programme.
“The only mistake here is, I did not inform everyone that it was a private event handled by industry players, no longer handled by the ministry,” he told the Dewan Rakyat today.
The minister was responding to Wan Hassan Ramli’s (PN-Dungun), who sought clarification on the ministry’s procedure in managing events, including those by the private sector, to ensure it adhered to the Service Circulars and Letters of Service Circulars 3/2003.
Published: Oct 9, 2025 2:06 PM
Updated: 5:06 PM
PARLIAMENT | Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing has acknowledged that he erred in not informing that Tourism Malaysia’s Global Travel Meet event on Oct 1 was handled by the private sector, not the government.
This, he said, had contributed to the misunderstanding which led the public to think that Tourism Malaysia had organised the event, which drew criticism over the serving of alcohol.
“Initially, the Global Travel Meet event was an official government event. However, to save costs, we had discussions with industry players to foot the bill.
“After they managed to procure over RM420 million, we let them take over the event. So, it became a private programme.
“The only mistake here is, I did not inform everyone that it was a private event handled by industry players, no longer handled by the ministry,” he told the Dewan Rakyat today.
The minister was responding to Wan Hassan Ramli’s (PN-Dungun), who sought clarification on the ministry’s procedure in managing events, including those by the private sector, to ensure it adhered to the Service Circulars and Letters of Service Circulars 3/2003.
Dungun MP Wan Hassan Ramli
The circular, among others, prohibits alcoholic beverages at government functions.
Tiong stressed that the circular was only applicable to government-organised events, which is not the case for the Global Travel Meet.
“I stress again that it was a private sector event. So, the circular mentioned is not applicable and the issue regarding alcoholic beverages served should not arise,” he added.
Two days ago, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim rebuked Tiong over the matter and indicated that he did not accept the latter’s explanation that the gala dinner was not a "government event".
Following that, Tiong’s ministry said it accepted the prime minister’s comments with full responsibility and humility, expressing regret for any "confusion or misunderstanding" that may have caused public discomfort.
Logo shouldn’t have been used
On the event backdrop, which had Tourism Malaysia’s logo, Tiong admitted that it should have been changed.
The circular, among others, prohibits alcoholic beverages at government functions.
Tiong stressed that the circular was only applicable to government-organised events, which is not the case for the Global Travel Meet.
“I stress again that it was a private sector event. So, the circular mentioned is not applicable and the issue regarding alcoholic beverages served should not arise,” he added.
Two days ago, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim rebuked Tiong over the matter and indicated that he did not accept the latter’s explanation that the gala dinner was not a "government event".
Following that, Tiong’s ministry said it accepted the prime minister’s comments with full responsibility and humility, expressing regret for any "confusion or misunderstanding" that may have caused public discomfort.
Logo shouldn’t have been used
On the event backdrop, which had Tourism Malaysia’s logo, Tiong admitted that it should have been changed.
“I made a mistake because the logo was still there. My ministry and I regret the confusion that arose from this,” he said.
The minister urged the public not to make wild accusations and turn them into political fodder.
“The prime minister had advised (the ministry), we accept. Let’s not play the political game and accuse us of insulting Islam.
“And we extend our appreciation to the prime minister for his constructive criticisms and support for the ministry,” Tiong added.
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