Author Archives: wcw

Changing dunes: A visit to Saudi Arabia’s top tourist destinations


The Elephant’s Rock in Al-ula, Saudi Arabia. — Photos: FLORENCE TEH

I would never have imagined a non-Muslim like me getting to visit Medina, the second holiest city for Muslims in Saudi Arabia after Mecca.

But just weeks ago, I stood before the Prophet’s Mosque, the Al-Masjid an Nabawi, and basked in its splendour.

Previously, non-Muslims weren’t allowed into the city, but that rule was lifted two years ago.

I was in front of the mosque decked in a white jubah (robe) and matching white skullcap to soak in the full ambience, and privilege, even though I was prohibited from entering, being non-Muslim.

It was delightfully peaceful and tranquil as I watched many of the faithful make their way into the mosque for prayers, and for others, just to be around the holy site.

The women in my tour group of Malaysian tourists, all non-Muslims, were appropriately attired to respect the dress code applied at the mosque compound.

Almost all of us seasoned travellers snatched the opportunity to sign up for the eight-day tour of Riyadh, Al-Ula, Medina and Jeddah because the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was one of the few nations we had never been to.

Saudi Arabia finally decided to open its doors to the world in 2019, but two years of Covid-19 put that plan on hiatus. With the world slowly staggering out of the post-pandemic chaos, the nation is now promoting tourism in an aggressive way.

Much gratitude should go to the powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, more famously known by his initials MBS, for his role.

He has allowed women to drive – they were banned from doing so until 2018 – and placed them in top positions in the Cabinet, government and even the police, which many older local men are still struggling to accept.


The writer outside the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina. Medina was previously closed to non-Muslims.

Concerts have been welcomed with top acts like BTS, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Blackpink and David Guetta all performing in Jeddah and Riyadh, something previously unimaginable in this once ultra-conservative country. But this new global perspective offers encouraging signs.

All the Malaysian female tourists had one question in mind before signing up for the tour – were they required to cover their head with a shawl, like in Iran?

The answer was a simple “no”, except in Medina, because it’s the second holiest city in Saudi Arabia. Yet, that rule wasn’t even applied in a public space like our hotel’s restaurant.

In other cities like Riyadh, Jeddah and Al-Ula, non-Muslims, and even local Saudi women, aren’t restricted in any way.

Unlike in Iran, there’s no moral police to patrol the streets to make sure women cover their heads.

In malls, Malaysians were surprised to see younger Saudis without the hijab or men walking around in shorts, although many women were still wearing the burqa.

The Red Sea Mall in the northern suburb of Jeddah is one of the largest shopping centres, where one can observe how modern Saudis go about their lives. There’s no need for a male chaperone or family member to accompany a woman on an outing.

Saudi Arabia is indeed at a crossroad as MBS is determined to change the face of his country at a swift pace. It was recently announced that Saudi Arabia will host the World Expo in 2030; it has also won the rights to host the FIFA World Cup in 2034.

MBS’s Vision 2030 is a vast economic transformation plan in which he has poured into hundreds of billions of dollars, hoping to open the kingdom to commerce and tourism amid rising regional competition.


The writer with his guide, Abdulaziz Alhodeib, in Riyadh, all dressed up in white robes and Arabic head covers.

He knows there’s a finite lifespan for fossil fuel – his kingdom’s source of wealth – and is aware that it will eventually be replaced by environmentally friendly options as the rest of the world switches to electric.

MBS understands his country must reduce its reliance on oil if it aspires to keep its place on the world stage.

The centrepiece of Vision 2030 is Neom, which includes a US$1tril (RM4.7tril) megacity known as The Line, which will be 33 times bigger than New York City.

Amazingly, it will even have 36km of ski slopes with man-made snow where visitors can ski all year around, as well as a 3km-long artificial lake.

Saudi Arabia has now donned a friendly face as it begins to welcome the world to its country, which was once only the domain of Muslim pilgrims.

While Medina has stricter rules for non-Muslims, I was still invited into the sanctuary of the oldest mosque in Al-Balad, a former walled city of traditional houses with wooden balconies, mosques and bazaars in narrow alleys.

It was already maghrib (sunset) when I walked near the Shafei mosque. I peeked inside because I desperately wanted to enter and watch the prayers up close.

The guide and mosque officials, noticing my curiosity and interest, held my hands and ushered me in, assuring me that it was acceptable for non- Muslims to enter and watch the prayers.

I was indeed pleased by the gesture and assurances extended to me, and a few of my fellow travellers also followed suit as the guides sportingly took photographs of us.

The kingdom is bent on changing the world’s perception of Saudi Arabia in a well-financed strategy to remix, reimagine and re-invigorate the country beyond the images of desert, oil sheikhs and holy cities.

It’s now giving Jordan a run for its tourism money with its heavy promotion of Al-Ula, the ancient city.

The world is familiar with Petra, the half-built, half-carved archaeological site in Jordan, which was made famous in Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom.

But the same Nabataean Arabs, who were known for perfectly carving cities from mountains, also made their way to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia finally opened Al-Ula in 2021 after having it closed for 40 years. The town was a settlement for pilgrims travelling from Damascus to Mecca.

The attraction is at the Hegra site, with over 110 astonishingly well-preserved tombs set in stunning desert landscapes.

Many of these tombs were dedicated to healers, military figures and leaders.


The world’s largest mirrored building in Al-Ula is a stunning building of art located right in the middle of the desert.

But the highlight of the visit for many is to see Hegra’s largest tomb, measuring about 22m tall, the monolithic Tomb of Lihyan Son of Kuza, called Qasr al-Farid.

It’s often referred to as the “Lonely Castle” because of its distant position in the area, but it’s surely the most magnificent tomb.

Then, there’s the dramatic Elephant Rock, the most iconic geological marvel, which is an instantly recognisable form with its distinctive trunk and body. Its shape is the result of wind and water erosion over the course of millions of years.

For me, Al-Ula was the highlight of the entire trip. Strangely, at one time, many local Saudis stayed away from Al-Ula, believing it was a cursed place, but its fate changed when MBS made it a flagship project of Vision 2030.

An international airport is already serving many foreign tourists, but better hotels are desperately needed to meet the requirements and standards of foreigners in Al-Ula.

Tourists should not expect Saudi Arabia to be another Dubai as there are harsh laws against the sale and use of alcohol but non-alcoholic beers, both local and imported, are sold in supermarkets.

Saudi Arabia changed my perception of the country and its people. They were warm, friendly and accommodating.

It’s a custodian of Islam and continues to protect the sanctity of the holy sites, yet at the same time, is also evolving.

We’re indeed living in exciting times, and I certainly hope MBS will continue with his vision and plans. With so little time and so much to see, there’s one forgone conclusion – Saudi Arabia will see me again.

*The nine-day Saudi Arabia trip was organised by Apple Vacations with a direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Riyadh.

Media outlets urged to work with regulators to combat scams


Fight the scammers: Wong presenting his views at the World Media Summit in Guangzhou, China. — Bernama

GUANGZHOU: News organisations should work with regulators to fight the scammers behind fraudulent schemes, says prominent media figure Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai.

He said trillions of dollars had been lost to scams globally with many ordinary people losing their life savings.

Wong, who is Star Media Group adviser and Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chairman, said such cheating was an extension of those who misuse the anonymity of social media to commit defamation and post false and malicious information.

“Misinformation and scamming will worsen as artificial intelligence will be used more in the coming years,” he said.

Speaking at the World Media Summit here, Wong said the mainstream media was familiar with the problems posed by misinformation, adding that updated legislation, including custodial sentences, needed to be applied to punish the culprits.

He said Bernama, like other Malaysian news outlets, had a section for people to verify what they read.

“This is why mainstream media remains so important.

“Now, more than ever, we have a place in the world as legitimate purveyors of information and news.

“This is where global media cooperation comes into play, as we must ensure that we continue to stand strong as a principled body of trust for the public,” he said.

Wong praised China’s Cyberspace Administration for closing more than 100,000 fake news social media accounts between April and May this year.

A canvas of faith and splendour


IT’S the largest museum of Islamic arts in South-East Asia, with more than 13,000 paintings and artifacts from around the world.

This massive collection is beautifully curated and displayed across the sprawling four levels of the facility, which has become a must-stop for travellers to Kuala Lumpur.

Nestled on a small slope in Lake Gardens, with the National Mosque across the side street, the museum is an oasis of calm and tranquillity.

Significantly, this isn’t a Muslim-only enclave. The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (IAMM) is open to all and is a great pitstop as many foreign tourists have discovered, consistently ranking it the No 1 tourist attraction in the city in Tripadvisor.

Come Dec 12, IAMM will celebrate its 25th anniversary with museum elites from around the world gathering to revel in this special occasion.

The milestone will be officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and will be marked by exhibitions that trace the museum’s journey thus far, while showcasing 150 masterpieces from its collection.

What’s interesting is that IAMM holds the view that “an appreciation of history, culture and civilisation helps the way for us to stand together, despite our differences.”

This statement of purpose is even more relevant in today’s divided world than it was when the museum opened in 1998, before the Sept 11 attacks in New York in 2001.

What followed that devastating day was a wave of Islamophobia resulting in bias and prejudices. More than two decades have passed, but that indifference has never dissipated. It has, perhaps, become worse in Malaysia in recent years because of politicians playing the race and religious card.

Amid this noise, IAMM is a beacon of peace. And what one gets to see there is the beauty of Islam.

It holds a special place in my heart because of its stylish and modern appearance, with its stunning domes and airy interior, while the displays are as inviting as they are informative.

Through paintings and artifacts, the museum shares the rich cultural heritage of Islam, and how it has successfully unified peoples from more than 100 lands, and the way it has created an artistic tradition that’s uniquely its own.

Prized icon

IAMM is the jewel in the crown of the Albukhary Foundation’s philanthropic model. As a museum, it takes visitors on a journey through grand Muslim empires, including the Ottoman, Persian and Mughal, from their court life to street life. It also reveals how different countries adapt to their culture to suit the requirements of their faith.

When viewing these displays, some may find them vaguely familiar, almost European, in fact. The National Gallery in London says that Western art often “reflects centuries of contact with the Muslim world and admiration of Islamic art.”

This is something for us to ponder: how the appreciation of art has no borders or cultural identity. They are sensory experiences, pure and simple.

The museum’s displays provide a peek into the world of master craftsmen, royal ateliers, royal patronages and the artist’s studio. They seek to feed our spirit with wonder at the human race’s creativity.

As a Malaysian museum, IAMM also introduces visitors to the Islamic art of South-East Asia, an area neglected by many of its peers.

And in so doing, the museum has become more representative of the Islamic world, with displays from the Middle East and North African countries to India and the East, and from Central Asia to the Malay Archipelago.

Today, IAMM is recognised for having the finest collection of South-East Asian Islamic art, which other museums seek to occasionally borrow.

With its huge inventory, including a significant collection of masterpieces that are sought after by others, it has helped raise its standing in the international museum community, and led to collaborations and exchanges with well-known museums in Britain, Europe, the United States, Japan, Australia, India and the Middle East.

Many of these exchanges are sometimes pursued in the hope of building bridges and healing rifts within the community. Surely but steadily, museums are awakening to their soft role as ambassadors of cultural harmony.

Slow start

IAMM is the pride and passion of its director, Syed Mohamad Albukhary. When living in Europe in the 1990s, he realised that Malaysia would be a good place for an Islamic arts museum – it’s at the crossroads of cultures for centuries and is a Muslim country with a multicultural population.

This cultural diversity and its geographical location within the Asia Pacific rim made it a good place to stir interest in Islamic art among locals as well as countries in the region.

Fortunately, Syed Mohamad had his brother’s backing. Businessman Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary supported his dream and made it one of the earliest initiatives of the Albukhary Foundation.

The infant years were difficult. Unlike other museums, which had collections and then searched for a building to house them, IAMM did the reverse – it built the museum and then went on an acquisition trail. Unfortunately, it found itself derailed by the 1997 Asian financial crisis that saw the devaluation of the Malaysian ringgit.

With a much smaller budget, Syed Mohamad could only afford less expensive items. However, when the country recovered from the economic crisis and the Albukhary Foundation was on a stronger financial footing, he began scouring for big ticket items at art auctions around the world.

Syed Mohamad was set on having a good Islamic art collection that presented the Islamic world in its entirety – across many geographies and cultures.

When in Europe and the United States on purchasing trips, he also visited famous museums to see how they functioned because he wanted his museum to be of an international standard.

Besides viewing galleries, he went on to establish a conservation and research centre to maintain its collection. In time, a scholar’s library with rare books was set up for researchers. The museum also embarked on educational outreach programmes with schools, universities and the public in general.

By the 2000s, the world had started to take notice of IAMM, which vaunted all the distinctive must-haves of a world-class museum. It began to hobnob with the international museum community while local Malaysian museums began to request benchmarking visits.

It started hosting joint exhibitions with renowned institutions while some of its collections travelled abroad to participate in others at illustrious places.

The museum became a staple in the itinerary of foreign dignitaries visiting Malaysia and has welcomed numerous royals, presidents and prime ministers from around the world. The most recent is Prince Albert of Monaco, who was on an official trip to Malaysia at the end of last month.

Every year, the museum organises about three to four theme-based exhibitions that run for between four and six months. Curators work hard to shed new light on the selected theme so that visitors can leave feeling nourished with new knowledge.

The exhibitions are usually accompanied by workshops and lectures popular with young people as well as scholars. It would be good to see more non-Muslim participation at these hands-on workshops, where we can learn arts and crafts.

Here is informal learning at its best – inspiring, engaging and likely to make us think out of the box.

Big breaks

In 2018, the Albukhary Foundation Gallery of the Islamic World opened at the British Museum. The IAMM initiative involved four years of renovations that British Museum Director Hartwig Fisher described as “magnificent”.

With this, priceless Islamic heritage artifacts were relocated to a more prominent place for visitors to view and learn. Before this, these pieces were displayed away from the main traffic flow, left almost forgotten.

For IAMM, acceptance of the venerable British Museum is like entering the inner circle of the museum elite. At the same time, it was keen to retain its edge as an Islamic museum in a non-Muslim setting.

At the launch of the joint exhibition “Inspired by the East: how the Islamic world influenced western art” held in 2019, the foundation’s trustee Sharifah Zaharah Albukhary said, “What we have now is a true collaboration between two institutions halfway across the globe.

“By bringing these two museums and their collections together, we hope to present an updated study of the nexus between East and West.

“It is not an entirely new understanding. It is more an analysis of different understandings – and misunderstandings – over the centuries.”

Another venture was in Japan during the pandemic. IAMM introduced Japanese audiences to the comprehensive history of Islamic art with the exhibition “14 Dynasties: The History and Culture of the Muslim World” at the Tokyo National Museum.

The seven-month virtual exhibition that ran from July 2021 saw IAMM sending the largest collection of artifacts it has ever consigned to any museum abroad.Encouraged by these successes, IAMM is now in discussions to hold similar exhibitions at renowned museums in the United States, Canada and in the Far East, basically, in non-Muslim settings.

Humanity has come a long way jumping through hoops of prejudicial fire and indifference, but at the end of the day, we all exist for one and the same reason, and IAMM is surely one of the many places to discover what that is.

Cabinet reshuffle: Beyond filling a missing vacancy

PUTRAJAYA: The Cabinet reshuffle, expected to take place today, will go beyond filling a missing vacancy.

Several changes are expected in the substantial revamp.

Speculation is that one key ministry will be filled by a former minister who is said to be making a comeback.

Another senior Umno MP will also be appointed a minister.

It is reliably learnt that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has also made some final changes to his list.

It is unclear if some ministers will be dropped entirely or moved to other portfolios.

The focus will also be on whether there will be a Finance Minister II post, and if there is one, whether it would be filled by an MP or a technocrat.

It is understood that ministers have been informed of a rehearsal at Istana Negara today, beginning at 11am.

“The official announcement will need to be made before the swearing-in ceremony in the afternoon,” an official said.

Meanwhile, Bernama, in its daily news coverage schedule, said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah will grace the presentation of the instruments of appointment and the swearing-in of the ministers at Istana Negara at 2.30pm.

Apart from taking the oath of office, loyalty and secrecy, the new members of the Cabinet will also be awarded their respective letters of appointment during the ceremony.

The expected returnees include former Cabinet members Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, Gobind Singh Deo and Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

ALSO READ: New health minister lined up, Zaliha possibly moving to revived FT ministry

The media also named Employees Provident Fund (EPF) chief executive officer Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan as a possible candidate for Finance Minister II. Amir had joined EPF in March 2021.

The focus is also on Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar, who has come under much criticism for his performance.

On Dec 1, the Prime Minister hinted there would be a Cabinet reshuffle this month.

The reshuffle takes place a year after the unity government headed by Anwar came to power.

The reshuffle is expected to help strengthen the government as a few ministers have come under fire for perceived poor performance while others said experienced leaders need to come on board.

Currently, there is a vacancy for the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living portfolio following the death of Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub on July 23.

His duties are currently being assumed by Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, who is also a Minister (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs, and Special Duties) in the Prime Minister’s Department.

Betting on tourism

WHILE attending the World Media Summit in Guangzhou, China, last week, I was interviewed by a Chinese media reporter who wanted my views on how the media could improve the perception of Chinese tourists towards South-East Asia.

Unsure what he was getting at, I probed until the polite young reporter was struggling to find the right words without sounding offensive.

Finally, he said many Chinese travellers who had watched a Thai blockbuster movie about scammers, had been spooked by it.

Thailand is hugely reliant on tourism, particularly from China, as the country welcomed over 10 million Chinese visitors each year before the pandemic – numbers which the majestic nation is struggling to replicate.

The movie No More Bets is about a Chinese computer programmer’s harrowing journey as he finds himself entangled in a violent scamming ring in South-East Asia.

News reports are prevalent about Asian individuals, including Malaysians, who are trafficked by allegedly Chinese nationals to work at scam parks or fraud factories along the Myanmar and Cambodia borders, to conduct online scams on individuals.


Bad publicity: The movie No More Bets, which tells of a Chinese computer programmer (centre) caught in a violent scamming ring in South-East Asia has scared away many Chinese tourists from visiting the region, especially Thailand and Cambodia. — Agencies

I assured the reporter that no Chinese tourists have been abducted from the streets to join the scammers and Bangkok is far away from our borders.

He said that was exactly the point where the media must work together to fight fake news and prejudicial perceptions.

Next came the point – is it true that foreign tourists in Langkawi are banned from wearing shorts, swimsuits and drinking alcohol?

Well, I told him as far as I knew, there was no such ban, and I had even verified with friends, family members and former colleagues who have made Langkawi their home.

Yet, hoteliers have said that they continue to get calls and emails from guests wanting to verify the purported ban.

I’m sure Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, who understands the importance of the Chinese tourism market, has continued to be bombarded with the same question from tour operators from China.

Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has now tried very hard to deny such a ban and has even invited critics to visit the island, which has seen dwindling tourism arrivals.

The issue had cropped up when Tiong claimed that some government representatives had allegedly behaved like “little Napoleons” by harassing tourists on dress codes and alcohol consumption.


Hoteliers in Langkawi have said that they continue to get calls and emails from guests wanting to verify the purported ban on shorts, swimsuits and alcohol on the island. — Others

It doesn’t help that PAS elected representatives have the obsession of imposing dress codes on people residing in Kelantan, including non-Muslim women and even Muslim men.

Others in PAS have expressed their views on how nurses and airline attendants should be “appropriately” attired. Since perception is everything, many Malaysians believe it when there are claims that tourists have been harassed for their choice of dressing.

The situation is aggravated when a leader like former Umno warlord and current PAS member Tan Sri Annuar Musa conveys a cynical congratulatory message to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for a list of achievements to mark his first year in office as PM.

Annuar included in his list the PM’s approval for Coldplay to perform here, despite PAS’ objection, licenses for the sale of alcoholic drinks and easing visa restrictions for Chinese and Indian travellers. Somehow, the party poopers conveniently forgot the relaxation was extended to Middle Easterners, too.

These remarks reek of racism and jeopardise the efforts of many people, simply putting them in a fix as tourism has a huge spillover economic effect. The biggest beneficiaries are the Malays, who work at hotels, restaurants, airlines, retail outlets, transportation and as guides.

This is all in bad taste because China has been Malaysia’s prime trading partner for the past 40 years in a row and in 2019, US$2.84bil (RM13.25bil) was generated by Chinese tourists in Malaysia, accounting for 14% of the country’s total tourism. Like Thailand, we need that money back… badly.

The two nations have been each other’s largest trading partner for decades consecutively. We expect our politicians to be more discerning when they speak. To cast aspersions, even if it’s only for domestic political expediency on China, our best customer for our exports, it will hurt us.

In fact, China-Asean bilateral trade even performed better despite the pandemic, jumping from US$642bil (RM2.9 trillion) in 2019 to a whopping US$975bil (RM4.5 trillion) last year.

Likewise, music tourism has become a large chunk of the economic pie with the Tourism Ministry going all out to reinvigorate this revenue-generating sector. Even the once ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia has eased its rules and allows big-draw concert acts now.

According to statista.com, revenue in music events is projected to reach US$38.68mil (RM180.4mil) this year and is expected to spike in the coming years at an annual rate of 4.83%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$46.72mil (RM218mil) by 2027.

Local concert organiser Adam Ashraf reportedly said, “if we bring in around eight to 10 A-list artistes from around the world to perform at a venue with around 50,000 to 60,000 capacity per concert a year, RM100mil in revenue is achievable,” he said.

Concerts are low hanging fruits, especially since we want tourists from neighbouring countries to come to Kuala Lumpur to spend their money. If there’s too much red tape and we’re afraid of opposing PAS, then performers will go to Singapore, and even Indonesia, which also welcomed Coldplay.

Our politicians should tighten their loose tongues. Please put your heads to better use, honourable MPs, even if that’s a challenge. For heaven’s sake, think about revenue and income for the country’s growth.

Magnetic interference

WE seem to be living in an age where nearly everything has become sensitive. This is all outrageous and ludicrous, and downright foolish even.

Hot off the press is the controversy of how the state-run TV Sarawak (TVS) had allegedly excluded the carol O Holy Night from a Christmas programme.

The Association of Churches had earlier issued a statement saying it would withdraw from the Christmas event after the organiser rejected their request to swap the song Jingle Bell Rock for the religiously meaningful O Holy Night.

TVS’ decision to not air the carol was supposedly “due to religious elements”, but following the public outcry and state government intervention, TVS subsequently claimed it was a miscommunication.

Well, it’s good that the Association of Churches in Sarawak has rebuked the claim of “miscommunication” by describing the remark as “deceptive and mischievous”.

While the matter was resolved with a happy ending, the question here is why it even had to crop up in the first place.

Well, it looks like this was an arbitrary decision made by a few people, whom veteran Sarawa-kian journalist Francis Siah concluded were non-Sarawakians.

If that’s true, then this is the result of Orang Semenanjung, aka Orang Malaya, using their judgment without understanding the acceptance of diversity in Sarawak, and Sabah, too.

Now, each time a concert promoter organises a show and fans buy their tickets, they must keep their fingers crossed that PAS or some religious group won’t rob them of a simple evening of entertainment.

I’m sure that the 75,000 people who watched Coldplay in Kuala Lumpur last week didn’t suddenly begin to embrace LGBT+ lifestyles or hedonism, the purveying PAS politicians’ mantra.

They have to understand that music tourism brings in millions of ringgit to Malaysia – from taxes collected from the sale of tickets, hotel accommodation, food, transportation and more.

This clearly benefits our economy. It’s very simple: If you don’t want to watch a show, then stay at home. Don’t stop others from enjoying clean entertainment.

Kudos to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for not letting these people dictate what we can or cannot watch.

Then there’s the apology by the organiser of an annual ball following claims from some busybody critics that it was “cultural appropriation”, simply because it had an Indian theme.

We all know even non-Indian weddings have Bollywood themes, where we all put on our best Indian costumes and dance away.

Unfortunately, some people online complained there was a “clear lack of Indian representation” at the event and the organiser was accused of “cultural appropriation”.

The nervous organiser then issued an apology. But seriously, why does this even deserve a response and worse, an apology, when these likely anonymous people have no business deciding how a private party should be conducted, or vetting its list of invitees?

Then Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek also had to issue an apology over the barring of several Tamil songs from being played at a Tamil-language event in Penang last week. It was mind boggling and again, we will not be surprised if it was an arbitrary decision of some official.

The minister blamed it on a “technical” mistake and communications when winding up the debate on the 2024 Budget in Parliament.

She assured the Dewan all this would not be repeated.

Just two weeks ago, we had to address the most unprecedented situation when a worker at a restaurant was sacked for wearing a cross.

Again, pressured by social media complaints, the restaurant manager issued an apology, and the worker was duly dismissed.

If the restaurant came under fire from overzealous Muslim customers, then it ultimately was criticised for its knee-jerk reactions.

But here’s the pathetic part. The Human Resources Ministry has given the impression that it is not pursuing the case because no report has been lodged.

So we’re expected to accept that a restaurant acknowledged dismissing a staff member for wearing a crucifix, but nothing is going to happen?

And we’ve only just begun… PAS-run Terengganu has decided to withdraw from the women’s gymnastics event in the Malaysia Games (Sukma) 2024, which will be held in Sarawak.

The reason for the decision was the outfit for female gymnasts. Now we have to wonder, if Terengganu is picked to host Sukma at some point, will gymnastics and diving be banned completely?

Adding to the whirlwind of confusion, it has been reported that the state’s six female gymnasts would be transferred to its wushu team. What?

Efforts to convince Terengganu that the gymnasts can wear “unitards”, which cover all parts of the body except the palms and soles of the feet, has reportedly failed to convince the state.

It must be heart-wrenching and bewildering for these athletes to be told, after years of training in their discipline, that they must now be wushu exponents instead!

With this obstacle, the careers of female gymnasts are as good as dead at the district school sports council and Terengganu state sports council levels.

What has Malaysia come to? Do we allow the moral police to push our buttons with impunity?

Moderate and rational Malaysians must prevail to stop this nonsense.


Girl power: Many women gymnasts around the world are starting to wear full-length unitards in competition, like Team Germany’s Pauline Schäfer, pictured here at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. — Agencies

No easy task for PMX

IN the past five months, I travelled to the Netherlands, Germany, Singapore, China and Saudi Arabia, and in each country, I kept hearing a recurring theme – the unbearable cost of living and the inability of their leaders to find a solution.

If you’re going to Singapore, just pop into a taxi and hear the drivers whining about their leaders. This, in a nation supposedly better and more respected in the region, if not the world.

The anger is probably felt most in the island republic’s heartland, where the working class is upset at rental costs and the increasing number of high-earning expatriates. More frighteningly, the suicide rate has risen nearly 26% last year, the highest level in over two decades.

The Dutch four-party coalition government collapsed after only 18 months in power, and now, their preference is veteran anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders, who still needs a partner to form the government.

The fallout was over the country’s migration rules, and as pockets become shallower, the world’s most liberal country is also becoming less tolerant of immigrants.

In Saudi Arabia, I was reminded by ordinary citizens that not all Saudis are oil-rich sheikhs, and they, too, must grapple with housing loan payments.

Rent in Riyadh, for example, is on average 90% higher than in Kuala Lumpur with the monthly household budget for a family of four estimated at RM14,000.

It’s the same story in Malaysia even though we have been able to manage our inflation to keep it at around 3% because of heavy subsidies by the government. Our diesel and petrol prices are among the lowest in the world.

But with a huge food import bill and a depreciating ringgit, Malaysians are discontented, and no survey is required to say otherwise.

Only the apple-polishers and sycophants around Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will tell him that Malaysians are a happy lot, and surveys recording a decline in his administration’s popularity shouldn’t be believed.

Sure, we can argue over methodology and the margin of error, as with all surveys. Some surveys are even allegedly financed by opponents, but if one listens carefully to the ground, the rakyat’s grumbling can be deafening.

But against the backdrop of dissatisfaction, which includes slow implementation of reforms, unfulfilled promises and frustrated expectations, we also need to remind ourselves of certain realities and achievements.

Many Malaysians have forgotten that since 2020, we’ve had four PMs and Cabinets. That’s staggering, given the stability we displayed before.

The fourth PM in that time span arrived in November 2022 in the form of Anwar. And even after the country’s first unity government was formed, Malaysia continued to face speculations that PMX, as the 10th PM is fondly referred to, could be ousted, or even challenged.

Given such uncertainties, could we expect any rational foreign investor to put money in Malaysia if they’re unsure of the incumbent government’s longevity?

Don’t forget, many of us were even worried that the “Green Wave” led by PAS would continue to win over the states under Pakatan Harapan.

After a year, it’s safe and fair to say that Anwar is set to be in charge for the next four years. Political stability is essential to attract any kind of direct foreign investment, and although it’s our prized asset, it was glaringly absent over the past five years.

The PM’s physical presence is a very important sign to investors that stability has returned, hence policy consistency. This is indeed very reassuring to major investors, whose planned investments run into billions of ringgit.

Let’s be fair and give credit to PMX. We can quarrel over the ethics of Bersatu MPs pledging support for PMX, but if five PKR MPs did likewise for the Opposition, the latter would be singing a different tune.

As at June 2022, the outstanding debt of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) was RM32.1bil and it has probably gone up because of our shrinking ringgit. This is a massive migraine for any PM or Finance Minister, and unfortunately for him, Anwar is both.

Handling legacy issues is a nightmare and the ordinary Malaysian can’t be expected to understand the massive debts we have accumulated.

There has been a lot of whining over PMX’s need to travel so much. For a start, as the new PM, he had to visit nine Asean member countries as the new government leader.

From the comments written by some journalists, even senior ones, it’s obvious they were unaware of such a protocol.

Reporters who cover our PM’s visits, whether official or working trips, would understand that they’re not there for a holiday.

The pace is often punishing, and a lot of preparation is put into them by the Foreign Ministry, and Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti).

While it’s important that Anwar tackle the problems at home, these overseas trips are also high priorities.

Don’t expect international investors to come to Malaysia when they’re being wooed and pursued by our neighbours. Indonesia president Jokowi Widodo is certainly all over the world, sometimes even ahead of Anwar’s arrival.

Businessmen appreciate meeting the PM together with the Miti minister, as collectively, it exhibits the government’s commitment to facilitating investments at the highest level.

With the PM leading the charge, direction on policies can be made promptly and followed through by relevant ministries.

It also inspires confidence when the PM himself assures investors that bureaucracy is being addressed diligently by Miti and its relevant agencies.

Most times, meetings are arranged back to back, with very little break in between.

In San Francisco, he met five major American multinationals within two hours, a session tucked into a gruelling Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Leaders’ meeting schedule and bilateral meetings from Nov 15-17.

His visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly had the same schedule. Besides meeting foreign leaders, he used the occasion for facetime with big names from Amazon, Airbnb, Boeing, ConocoPhillips and Kimberly-Clark.

Reporters who covered Anwar said the day would start at 8.30am and usually end at 11pm.

Meeting investors doesn’t in any way diminish the efforts of the Miti minister, but PMX’s presence certainly adds a different level of gravitas to some of these engagements.

One thing’s for sure, Anwar is at his charming and persuasive best when he is doing a sales pitch for Malaysia.

Then, there’s the question of whether all those billions of ringgit pledged would truly translate into real deals and not mere meaningless memorandums of understanding (MOUs). These are fair questions which deserve proper explanations.

So, what time scale is involved for these “billions” of investment ringgit pledges to take effect?

It would depend on the nature and complexity of the investments. For instance, committed investments take anywhere between 18 and 36 months to be realised.

Miti has set up the Investment & Trade Action Coordination Committee – a multi-ministry, multi-agency committee which also involves state government representatives – to expedite approvals for investment realisation. Its Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida), too, is playing a huge role in facilitating investments and easing investors’ journey.

The process includes having representatives of relevant authorities (the Inland Revenue Board, Customs, Immigration, Human Resources Department, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, Tenaga Nasional Bhd) housed within a dedicated space in Mida, representing a one-stop centre for investors called the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre (IMFC), which will start operating from Dec 1.

Then, there are concerns whether Anwar’s ardent pro-Palestinian campaign could pose risks and anger business groups in the United States and Europe.

I’d like to think that they know Anwar has been consistent on the plight of the Palestinians. It doesn’t matter if it’s Hamas or the rival Palestine Liberation Organisation, because he is simply on the side of humanity.

He can’t afford to take a passive stand on this issue with 70% of the country’s electorate – the Malay-Muslim majority – potentially emotionally impacted. It will generate a disastrous domestic political backlash on his party, PKR, and the government.

Many of us take for granted that he is the first PM from a multiracial party, even if it has a strong Malay base.

But foreign leaders and investors understand that Anwar is a moderate. In fact, many of his critics would admit that he’s a better alternative than anyone from PAS. The reality, though, is PAS has more elected representatives than Bersatu.

For many Malaysians, while we understand that he needs to shore up his Malay support, we can’t comprehend why he needs to compete with PAS.

They’re a lost cause. They comprise leaders and voters who believe that concerts equal LGBT advocation and hedonism, or free sex.

Banning Swatch watches with LGBT references, for example, which nobody knew existed until the Home Ministry raided related shops, surely didn’t earn PMX any new fans from PAS.

So, what should Anwar do in the face of these frustrations on the ground?

He must focus on alleviating the rakyat’s and small medium industries’ plights and concerns, particularly on their daily living and survival challenges.

Anwar needs to keep reminding domestic stakeholders of the importance of investments in boosting economic growth, but also balancing it with other key determinants, including consumption, government spending, exports and more.

Prioritise international engagements with key economies and strategic geographies, and be selective for a better impact.

The economy is everything. Fill the pockets of the people, make their daily lives bearable and if that means removing non-performing and mediocre ministers, let heads roll.

Reshuffling the Cabinet doesn’t mean changing the portfolios but simply replacing non-performers with good personnel – even if they’re technocrats and non-elected representatives – installed to posts that need competency.

If he must add a few new ministries, just go ahead with the new names and changes soon.

Anwar needs to more assertive, decisive and firm. He can’t continue to be tolerant of under-performing ministers.

For many Malaysians, the choice is still simple – better Anwar than anyone from a party preoccupied with polygamy, concerts, dressing or getting Lim and Lee mixed up, and even believing Lee Kuan Yew is still alive in Singapore. Apparently, Elvis has not left the building either.

He’s just a year into the job. The unity government needs our continued support, and we can’t afford another PM, but there is a caveat.

PMX can’t take our votes for granted and we expect him to start delivering more in the next four years. Even if just by a shade, the future at least looks brighter.

Star adviser Wong to represent Malaysia at international media summit in China


Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai will speak at a session on “Seeking Growth – Media’s Worldwide Cooperation for a Better Future” at the World Media Summit in China.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prominent journalist Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai will represent Malaysia to speak at the World Media Summit to be held in Guangzhou and Kunming, China, beginning Dec 1.

The Star Media Group adviser and Bernama chairman will join participants from over 200 media outlets worldwide as well as government officials, and representatives of international organisations.

He will speak at a session on “Seeking Growth – Media’s Worldwide Cooperation for a Better Future” where he will call for better media ties to fight fake news.

The week-long 5th World Media Summit (WMS) is titled “Boosting Global Conference, Promoting Media Development.”

It was jointly launched in 2009 by a group of international media organisations including Xinhua News Agency, the Associated Press, and Reuters, among others.

WMS said the media practitioners will engage in in-depth discussions on issues of common interests, and concerns, such as the role of the media in promoting common interests and concerns including technological opportunities, new markets and forging alliances.

Wong said fake news and the wide spread of misinformation had become a serious problem worldwide.

”It’s not just fake political news used to defame and slander but now these include scammers who rob many of their savings and hard-earned money,” he said.

Wong said he hoped the meeting would enable him to learn from his media counterparts as well as share the Malaysian media experience.

Double crossed

SACKING a restaurant worker for wearing a crucifix must surely be the first of its kind in Malaysia.

Not only is it discriminatory, but this is totally unacceptable, and a strong, unequivocal message must be conveyed to his employer.

This shouldn’t be about the worker not willing to file a complaint against the boss of this popular Chinese beef bread restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. Instead, Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar shouldn’t shrug it off and give the impression that this is not a priority. We hope he will take this up.

Malaysians know the identity of the restaurant and its representative has even appeared on video to apologise for its staff wearing a crucifix.

The minister said there’s no need to investigate this because “we have not received any complaints” and “if we receive any complaints, we will look into it and appropriate action may be taken.”

Most likely, the representative swiftly fired the worker and said it was an oversight on their part, out of fear that it would lose its predominantly Muslim clientele after the video went viral.

In fact, she admitted she couldn’t sleep peacefully because of the footage, which she anticipates will affect the business.

The controversy began when a TikTok video depicted a worker at Mon Chinese Beef Roti in Bukit Bintang wearing a necklace with a crucifix while preparing food.


The controversy began when a video, showing a worker at a Chinese Muslim restaurant in Bukit Bintang wearing a necklace with a crucifix while preparing food, went viral. — TikTok

The video – which has been taken down – eventually elicited many negative responses from Muslim customers stating their uneasiness at a staff wearing the songkok and Christian cross.

But instead of standing up for its employee, the manager of the said outlet – identified as Sofia – apologised for their oversight and promised to be thorough in screening staffs’ background to avoid offending local Muslim sensitivities.

This reeks of a classic knee-jerk reaction and crisis management at its worst. There’s no provision in Malaysian labour laws that says wearing a crucifix or a Buddhist amulet is illegal.

In fact, the restaurant should now apologise to Malaysians for this gross violation of our laws.

For example, wearing a songkok isn’t tantamount to one being Muslim. It’s not a religious headgear but an elegant Malay hat.

Some cool heads have prevailed following the travesty, with many netizens including Muslims, expressing sympathy for the fired staff, saying it’s more important the food is halal and clean.

The overreaction and slanderous remarks were, like the employer’s approach, perhaps a knee jerk reaction, too.

I don’t think any logical Malaysian can accept how the restaurant handled the issue. It chose to embrace social media reactions without thinking thoroughly of its actions, in this case, a young worker losing his livelihood.

His “crime?” Wearing a cross and making some customers unhappy in the process. His punishment? Getting fired by a fearful restaurant representative.

So, do we accept this simply because no report was lodged, as if the ministry can’t trace the worker and conclude an acceptable parting of ways? Or is it not even going to reprimand the restaurant for this highly discriminatory dismissal?

When the restaurant manager said it would now be more vigilant in its recruitment of staff, does that imply that it would not hire non-Muslim workers, like Myanmar nationals who are mainly Buddhist, or Christians?

If we allow the restaurant to go unpunished, then we can’t lament in the future when we hear of workers being thrown out for wearing the songkok, tudung or putting holy ash on their forehead, which is a Hindu custom.

By staying silent on the restaurant’s actions, it means we are condoning this unjust and prejudicial response against an employee on the grounds of ethnicity and religion, and allowing social media to dictate what’s wrong and right.

This popular restaurant chain is believed to be a Muslim concern from China, with its predominantly Muslim staff hailing from the republic.

It’s great that they’ve chosen to invest in Malaysia, but we have laws here that forbid discriminatory sackings.

It’s strange, but we seem to be living in a time of whim and fancy. What was totally acceptable before is suddenly inexplicably “wrong.”

How and why has this happened? Is this the future that beckons?

Tough questions not for the meek and scared, perhaps.

It’s strange, but we seem to be living in a time of whim and fancy. What was totally acceptable before is suddenly inexplicably “wrong.”