Michael Tiang, PAS should not destroy the harmony enjoyed in Sarawak

suppadmin | October 12, 2018

SUPP Youth Central Chief, Michael Tiang called to PAS to stay put in Semenanjung as their culture and outlook in life is totally different from Sarawakians who have for decades enjoyed peace and harmony.

Tiang who is also the Political secretary to the Chief Minister stated that PAS Sarawak who wanted the authorities to ban future beer festivals as overbearing.

“I can understand them urging Muslims not to participate in a beer festival, but it’s totally absurd for them to urge the authority to ban beer festivals completely to prevent non Muslims from participating such events. It is even more ridiculous for PAS to only focus on how things can go wrong with alcohol drinking in order to justify its ground. If that rationale carries any truth, why doesn’t PAS also urge to ban car driving as reckless driving killed many lives on road!!!” asked Tiang.

He said Sarawak is a place where we celebrate diversity and unity. Muslims and non-Muslims are brothers and sisters living together with total understanding, respect and trust for more than a century in Sarawak. We never had any issues on festive celebration or religious clashes. PAS should stop playing their politics in the name of religion but with an aim to divide Sarawakians.

Tiang said Sarawakians are proud of who we are and how unique we are in our culture. “We should therefore stand firm on our ground to uphold our identity”, he added.

Also speaking against PAS’s directive is Assistant Youth and Sports Minister, Datuk Snowdan Lawan who urged PAS not to poke their nose where they are not wanted.

Snowdan, who is Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Vice President said Sarawak is a unique place where all races respective of religions respect one another and to call the organizer to ban such festival is not fair to the organizer. “In Kuching, there were many places that organized Octoberfest and no one made any complaint. Even our Sarawak Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minitser, Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah is open to Oktoberfest being celebrated in the state as it is a culture and food festival.

Snowdan said Sarawakians of all races have live together in harmony for decades and certainly, they should not allow PAS to destroy that harmony.