“But I am not afraid because I am confident that what I did was right and for the benefit of the nation and people even though it has hurt other people’s feelings.”

- Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing

COMMENT | Here is the thing. You can disagree vehemently with Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing when it comes to his opposition to the generational endgame (GEG) smoking bill.

You can also disagree when he wrote a letter critical of former US House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. But what the forces of extremism in this country are objecting to is essentially his non-Malay/Muslim status.

Tiong’s declaration that he is not a Muslim is a rejoinder to Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (PN-Masjid Tanah) of his supposedly non-Muslim behaviour of drinking and dancing and, some would argue, being a thorn in the side of those who desire a theocratic state where all are under religious law regardless of religious affiliation.

Whether you agree or disagree with the way Tiong is doing his job, his agenda, and he has made this very clear, is to bring in foreign money through tourism to this country.

And if the money comes from Chinese tourists (many of his critics have made this point as if Chinese money is something out of the ordinary here), so what? It is the local economy that benefits.

Just last September, Tiong in the budget winding up speech for the 12th Malaysia Plan’s mid-term review said...