KUALA LUMPUR – Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul has ordered Deputy Communications and Digital Minister Teo Nie Ching to explain her remarks against Tasek Gelugor MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan over the issue of non-Muslims consuming alcohol.
Teo, who is Kulai MP, has until November 17 to provide her explanation, according to a letter from Johari to her and copied to Wan Saiful, who shared it on Facebook.
The speaker’s directive follows a motion submitted by Bersatu’s Wan Saiful on November 9 urging for Teo to be referred to Parliament’s Rights and Privileges Committee over her statements, which he alleged had implied he was using racial rhetoric.
Teo’s statements in question were issued in Parliament on November 8, during a war of words with Wan Saiful, who had criticised Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing’s response to condemnation against him for drinking alcohol in public.
Wan Saiful in his motion said he took issue with Teo’s challenge to him to point out which rule in the government prohibits non-Muslim ministers and deputy ministers from drinking.
“I submitted the motion because I have observed that the government often uses 3R (race, religion and royalty) sentiments when they cannot address certain issues,” Wan Saiful said in his Facebook post today.
“(Teo) tried to make it seem as if I was questioning the rights of non-Muslims to drink alcohol, but this was not the matter I raised,” he added, stressing that his advice to Tiong did not mention either race or religious values.
Tiong had previously said Wan Saiful saw a “golden opportunity” to pass judgment on the behaviour of others despite his own shortcomings and questioned the former Bersatu information chief about his corruption charges.
This came after Wan Saiful reprimanded Tiong, saying that getting drunk in public was unbecoming of a minister, irrespective of their religion.
In her challenge to Wan Saiful, Teo was reported saying: “If you (Wan Saiful) think that a non-Muslim drinking alcohol is against ethics, I believe the chief secretary to the government would have advised the relevant ministers against it.
“Maybe you can help me (by showing me) which part of the (government) ethical guidelines say that a non-Muslim minister or deputy minister is not allowed to drink,” the deputy minister said. – November 14, 2023