Beer Festival Targeted by Militants: Malaysian Police Chief

Police on Thursday said militants planned to sabotage Malaysia’s biggest beer festival, which was canceled earlier this week after an Islamic party warned about how celebrating the alcoholic beverage could encourage immoral behavior.

Citing security concerns, Malaysia’s police chief said his department would not have allowed The Better Beer Festival 2017 to go ahead in Kuala Lumpur next month, even if the city council had granted a permit for the event.

On Monday, the council (DBKL) announced it had denied an application from the organizers to stage the event on Oct. 6 and 7, but without explaining why.

“There is information which revealed that militant groups were planning to sabotage the festival as they regard the event as contrary to their struggle,” Police Inspector-General Mohamad Fuzi Harun said in a statement.

Police had also obtained intelligence that “some parties” planned to disrupt the beer fest and this could “lead to a security situation,” Fuzi added. He did not name any militant groups or other parties that could cause havoc at the event.

On Monday, festival organizers announced the annual event’s cancellation for the first time since the beer fest began five years ago. Organizers were anticipating that about 6,000 people would gather for the two-day event featuring 250 beers from at least 43 breweries around the globe.

“At our meeting with the officials at the Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur [the city council], were instructed to cancel our event as there are issues with the licensing,” MyBeer, the festival’s organizer, said in a statement.

“We were further informed that the decision was made due to the political sensitivity surrounding the event,” it added.

Multi-religious and multi-ethnic Malaysia is home to about 19.5 million Muslims, who make up more than 60 percent of its population. Buddhists, Hindus and Christians make up the rest, but religion and race are sensitive issues in the country.

Full story: BenarNews

N. Natha
Kuala Lumpur