IT’s the turn of Selangor PAS Youth to berate what it terms as “normalisation of alcohol” in schools after its Terengganu comrade had lambasted corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the guise of indirect beer advertising by brewers of alcoholic beverages.
Whether this has to do with political rivalry or otherwise, PAS Selangor Youth chief Mohamed Sukri Omar has chastised Amanah Wanita chief Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu for her pose with a mock cheque bearing the “Tiger Beer” logo.
This came about as the Sepang MP attended a charity concert to raise funds for the construction of a multi-purpose hall for SJK (C) Tche Min in Sungai Pelek, Selangor which also happens to be in her parliamentary constituency without the slightest clue that the country’s largest beer brand was the event’s sponsor.
“Embarrassing! The action of the Deputy Minister of Housing and Local Government who stood on the stage smiling and holding a replica of a check emblazoned with the logo of a famous brand of alcohol is really sad.” Sukri hit out in a Facebook post. “Is this the rahmatan lil alamin Islam that Amanah wants to fight for?”
Sukri’s criticism soon resonated among opposition-slant keyboard warriors despite Amanah’s women wing deputy Anfaal Saari coming to Aiman’s defence that her attendance in the capacity of a deputy minister does not mean she endorses the product.
“Any VIP should make a background check about any event they are invited to. ‘I don’t know’ excuse is totally unacceptable,” asserted Hawa Yaakub 🇲🇾 (@YaakubHawa) on the X platform.
“Furthermore, the liquor brand and logo are all over the place (in the school compound with school kids around). She should be the one who rectified the wrong.”
Any VIP should make a background check about any event they are invited to. “I don’t know” excuse is totally unacceptable. Furthermore, the liquor brand and logo is all over the place (in the school compound with schools kids around). She should be the one who rectified the wrong pic.twitter.com/CyKv8CcXrk
— Hawa Yaakub 🇲🇾 (@YaakubHawa) July 19, 2024
While Hawa Yaakub’s view can be deemed constructive, Aiman herself took offence at a FB post by one Md Nor Azam which she deemed as having gone overboard and defamatory. She gave the Facebooker 48 hours to pull down his post of face legal action.
“I’ve (further) instructed my team to collect all relevant information and fake news, and will not hesitate to take legal action,” she warned her detractors.
“I’ve never legalised alcohol but unfortunately there are many takfiri (minority ideology) groups that legalise slander and make evil attempts to humiliate me with slander.”
As one social media commenter puts it, he really wonders what is wrong from the Islamic perspective if beer companies contribute to societal welfare by means of upgrading schools as opposed to promoting alcohol consumption.
To paraphrase that is to prohibit sin taxes collected from the country’s two publicly-listed brewers – Heineken Malaysia Bhd and Carlsberg Brewery Malaysia Bhd or even gambling houses Genting Malaysia Bhd, Magnum Bhd and Sports Toto Bhd – for the country’s socio-economic development. – July 21, 2024
