Organisers of beer fest taken aback by protest
MIRI: Organisers of the Neon Beer Festival were taken aback by the action of a small group of people protesting against the holding of the festival, saying their intention of holding the event has been misunderstood.
Jimz, one of the organisers, said the festival is open to the public with stalls selling all kinds of food and drinks suitable for Muslims and non-Muslims.
“Miri is a great place with great tourism potential, but there are limited avenues that could draw visitors here. Hence, our main intention of having this festival is to boost the tourism industry. After our recent promotion, people from all over the world contacted us asking when the next one would be so that they could come.
“We are thus upset that our good intention has been twisted and misunderstood by a small group of people who rallied against the festival,” he said, adding the festival was inspired by Oktoberfest that is celebrated in Western countries from end of September to early October each year.
Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture that has been around since 1810. Since then, cities across the world have held Oktoberfest, which originated in Munich, Germany.
Apart from beer, visitors get to enjoy many other attractions such as stage performances.
Jimz also said the ‘ protesters’ had overlooked the notice that they (organiser) had put up at the entrance, prohibiting Muslims from purchasing alcoholic beverage.
“There are other stalls selling non- alcoholic drinks at the fair, which Muslim visitors could purchase. There are even stalls that sell halal food, run by Muslims.
“The entertainment programmes are family-friendly that welcome everyone regardless of race and religious background,” he said.