YOURSAY | ‘They should protest against graft instead of beer fests.’

PAS Youth mulls options against beer festival

Brave Malaysian: PAS Youth is mulling its options to protest against the Better Beer Festival in Kuala Lumpur, which will be held next month in conjunction with Oktoberfest. Meanwhile, Selangor exco Teng Chang Khim said such events can still go on despite PAS' objections.

Infringing on the constitutional and legitimate rights of others seems to be PAS’ focus. First, unilateral conversion. Then, the right of syariah courts to supersede the Constitution, et cetera. Now it’s drinking beer.

Drinking beer is not illegal in the eyes of the law, but corruption is and it, too, is haram in Islam. Why not protest and focus their energy and attention on fighting corruption, which is tearing this country apart and also bringing a bad name to Islam?

Your sense of right and wrong is totally perverted and you all are doing this for political reasons; certainly not for religious reasons. Shame on you, PAS Youth. You have strayed from the true teaching of your religion.

You don't frighten me. I was not planning to be there at the beer festival. But after your protest, I will be there to show you that I shall not be intimidated by your miserable threats. You shall not rob me of my constitutional rights. I shall not allow that.

Vijay47: Fortunately, Malaysia has not seen full-blown violent acts of religious terrorism and for this, I will give credit to the police force whether on its own efforts or through information from its security partners.

But this fight cannot be only against bombs and guns, it must include the climate within which the mentality of radicalism is planted and nurtured, and on this score, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Umno have been a dismal failure.

Making great speeches may be your forte, Najib, but we see growing intolerance and even animosity almost on a daily basis towards non-Muslim faiths, we see rights guaranteed by the Constitution and practised for generations being steadily eroded, acts tacitly encouraged by you in your failure to take firm action against them.

Your association with a party of religious fanatics is your choice but not when further restrictions and intrusions are heaped on non-Muslims. My religion enjoins that I love my enemy, but you make it a heavy cross to bear.

Proarte: Well, let us see whether Najib puts his 1MDB money where his mouth is. He has promised the US that he is intent on stamping out extremist Muslim activity in Malaysia.

If PAS intends to “create mischief” by encouraging violence, then the inspector-general of police must make sure the beer festival has adequate security so that the celebrants can enjoy their tipple in peace as guaranteed by the Constitution.

The event is clearly non-halal, so Muslims who want to join the beer festival must be prepared to face unconstitutional activity by Department of Islamic Development (Jakim) officers.

The Constitution allows for freedom of association and freedom of worship, so Jakim, please take note.

Anonymous 2439891477538802: If PAS doesn't approve of the public consumption of beer like the beer fest, it should advise its own kind to avoid the event venue.

Just because you are not in favour of drinking beer, it does not entitle you to stop others from drinking. What type of intolerant medieval thinking is this?

Have A Great Day: Why are these religious extremists so intolerant? No one is forcing them to take part in the Better Beer Festival.

Just live and let live. Don't try to preach or force the unconverted to your point of view.

Vgeorgemy: Selangor exco Teng Chang Khim, thanks for standing up for the cultural rights of the minorities to have their choice of food and drink.

We hope the Selangor administration will isolate the ultra right-wing demagogues from its policy making to avoid future inconveniences.

Anonymous 2465861491622056: This clearly shows that non-Muslims are going to be affected by any syariah changes.

Now non-Muslims cannot even celebrate beer drinking. This has nothing to do with Muslims as they are not invited to the event.

Tomorrow non-Muslims will be told that they cannot sell and eat pork, and further down the line, that they can only consume halal food.

What Umno and PAS are saying about syariah changes having no effect on non-Muslims is false.

Appum: This is the tip of the iceberg of PAS. They are showing this tip for all to see if they come into power.

Even though we are not asking PAS members to drink beer, they can't even see others doing it in a democratic system.

It's high time we abolish race and religion in our political system. This is the root cause that divides our harmony, our national security and peace.

All Malaysians wish to live in respectful harmony and peace so that the nation and its achievements can benefit all.

In case you want to protest, PAS, stage your protest far, far away from this event lest the waft of the beer reaches your nostrils and you get intoxicated and lose your faith.

Choo Sin Fook: Thanks for the publicity, PAS. I would not have known of the festival if you had not made noise.

Hang Babeuf: Beer festival people can also "mull" some options against PAS. Personally, I would rather mull some claret.

And with it drink to the memory of Umar Khayyam the Tent-maker, who averred that he found more wisdom in one bottle of his Shiraz red wine than in all the disputations of 70 contending ulamas and their schools and sects.

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