“Beer festival on October (Oktoberfest) should not be held in Malaysia,” Says Religious Affairs Minister

Datuk Idris Ahmad, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs), is now stating that Oktoberfest (Beer Festival) should not be permitted to be held in Malaysia in light of the recent and contentious Bon Odori festival, where over 35,000 Malaysians attended despite his warning that it should be banned.

The Oktoberfest is an annual festival originating from Munich, Germany, held over a two-week period and ending on the first Sunday in October. The festival was first held on October 12, 1810 and is celebrated worldwide.

“Even though the government does not restrict non-Muslims from consuming alcohol, it’s best that these sort of festivals should not be held,” he said.

He also mentioned that “alcohol would cause a lot of issues such as, family violence, drunk driving, health issues, disruption to societal harmony and even poverty.”

He believes that Malaysians should respect that Malaysia’s official religion is Islam by law and by rules.

Do you think Oktoberfest (Beer Festival) would be detrimental to our society?

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