KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 — PAS took aim today at the organisers of Oktoberfest, demanding this time that the City Council take action against the companies involved for advertising the beer festival without permits and for seeking to hold it in an open venue.
Temerloh MP Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi also demanded an apology from the organisers, and urged them to stop current promotions for Oktoberfest including removing advertisements from all premises, even the website of popular shopping centre, 1Utama.
“It is clearly challenging the sensitivities of the people, especially Muslims. An alcohol festival on a large scale and in the open goes against the culture and ethics of the people of Malaysia,” he told reporters today.
Nasruddin also said that such alcohol festivals are not in line with the cultures of the east and contradicts Islam as the official religion of the country.
“We respect their (non-Muslims) right to consume alcohol, but let it happen in closed places.”
Earlier, Nasrudin and several other PAS members delivered a memorandum to the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), congratulating them for taking precautionary measures regarding the Oktoberfest festival.
The PAS members present this evening were Nasrudin, Pasir Mas MP Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz and Kuala Nerus MP Dr. Khairuddin Aman Razali.
Khairuddin said although PAS disapproves of the festival being held in an open area and the advertisements of the event, the party is not stopping non-Muslims from drinking or attending the festival.
“We don’t deny that non-Muslims have a right to drink alcohol. It is their right to consume it, but it is not right to advertise it openly,” said Khairuddin.
Petaling Jaya Mayor Datin Paduka Alinah Ahmad, who received the memorandum, said the council does not allow the advertising of alcohol, cigarettes or any other items that are deemed religiously sensitive.
She said although the organisers have submitted an application, it was still subject to approval by the city council.
An Oktoberfest billboard was recently raised in Shah Alam, a Malay majority city to promote the event, which is scheduled for this weekend at 1Utama Shopping Centre, PJ, a multi-racial metropolitan city.
Although the event is aimed at non-Muslims, several Muslim groups including Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) have urged their supporters to rally against ‘Oktoberfest’, claiming the event will tarnish Malaysia’s image of an ‘Islamic country’ and ‘bring ruin’ to the nation.
Oktoberfest is held annually in Malaysia by GAB and Carlsberg organising several drinking parties in major towns across the country.
Originally celebrated in Munich, Germany, Oktoberfest has grown into ‘the world’s largest funfair’, attracting millions of visitors every year.
