Malaysia enforces travel ban on beer festival and ‘gay partygoers’

Malaysia is enforcing a travel ban on any visitors coming to the Muslim-majority country for the now banned beer festival and an upcoming ‘gay party’.

Immigration Department director-general, Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali speaking at a press conference on Saturday regarding the travel ban

According to a report by The Star, the country’s immigration department is working with the police and Malaysia Islamic Development Department (Jakim) to identify individuals coming to the country for the two events, so that they will be flagged and given a Not To Land (NOL) notice upon entry.

“The beer festival and ‘the gay party’ is against our country’s culture and we will be strict in denying entry to these events,” said the country’s Immigration Department director-general, Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali, at a press conference after meeting with representatives from Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) and airline operators at the Penang Inter­national Airport this weekend.

The immigration department did not disclose if they have banned travellers entering or foreigners from leaving the country.

Earlier, the country pulled the plug on the Better Beer Festival, which was scheduled for 6-7 October following criticism from an Islamist party warning it will turn Kuala Lumpur into the “largest vice centre in Asia”.

The ‘gay party’, originally planned for 30 September, is a lead-up to the annual annual gay festival called White Party Bangkok.

The ban has promoted criticism from other parties including Malaysia Chinese Association (MCA) which has warned that the involvement of Jakim is akin to ‘moral policing’.

“Drinking is a sin in Islam. But not for non-Muslims. It’s not up to them [Jakim] to decide [for non-Muslims] and MCA will continue to fight for our right to do so [drink],” MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, was quoted as saying.

Malaysia practises a moderate version of Sunni Islam, and about 60% of it 39 million residents are Muslim.