MCA has been reduced to a political party without principles as well as a thoroughly indisciplined one by the proposed “Better Beer Festival” event in Kuala Lumpur next month.

The MCA President, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai seems to take his double role in the Merdeka video “Citizens” seriously, first opposing the Kuala Lumpur ban on the proposed “Better Beer Festival” but quickly caving in and even endorsing the ban after the Cabinet meeting this morning on the ridiculous grounds of “security”!

But the MCA is a thoroughly indisciplined political party, whose President is not respected even by the other MCA leaders whether at national, state or local levels, who continue to say the very opposite of the stand of Liow Tiong Lai, even blaming the DAP for “strengthening” PAS to successfully oppose the Better Beer Festival!

Have security and safety in Malaysia become so tenuous and perilous that the Better Beer Festival, which had been held for the past several years, have to be banned because of “security” reasons?

Is this the way to promote tourism and turn Malaysia into a tourists’ haven when even the Federal Government and the Police cannot guarantee the safety and security of a very localised event, like the Better Beer Festival, in the Federal capital?

Isn’t such a ban encouraging the extremists and fanatics to up their demands, even sending a signal to “Islamic State” supporters that Malaysia is a fertile ground for them to cultivate to spread their brand of bigotry, extremism and intolerance in Malaysia?

The Police owes Malaysians a full and satisfactory explanation, whether they had advised the Kuala Lumpur City Hall to ban the Better Beer Festival because of extremist and terrorist threats, and if so, whether Malaysia has become so unsafe as to justify such a ban.

DAP supports the professionalism of the police force, and takes seriously the police tasks to fight crime and to ensure safety and security in Malaysia – and this is why DAP MPs had recently invited the head of the Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter-Terrorism Division, Deputy Comm Datuk Ayob Khan to give a briefing on the latest developments on the terrorist threat in Malaysia.

The Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun should not allow partisan politics to interfere with police professionalism and duties.

Let him speak up whether Malaysia’s safety and security have become so compromised and brittle that a small and localised event like the Better Beer Festival which had been held for several years in the Federal capital had to banned on security grounds.

(Speech at the DAP kopitiam dialogue held at Pelangi hawker centre, Stulang, Johor Baru on Wednesday, 20th September 2017 at 8 pm)