Malaysian politicians express concern over Tiger Beer’s involvement in fundraising for local vernacular schools
Singaporean brand, Tiger Beer, has sparked a heated political debate over the role of alcohol companies in educational support following its involvement in fundraising for Malaysian vernacular schools.
The controversy began when Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Aiman Athirah Sabu was photographed with a mock cheque bearing the Tiger Beer logo at a concert fundraiser for Tche Min school in Selangor. The event had aimed to raise more than MYR3 million (USD646,230) for the school’s development.
The fundraiser was part of the Chinese Education Charity Concert (CECC) programme, a longstanding partnership between Tiger Beer and Malaysian Chinese-language newspaper Sin Chew Daily. For the past three decades, the CECC has raised more than MYR413 million to support Chinese schools, with Tiger Beer presenting local performing artists for the programme’s concerts.
The presence of Tiger Beer’s logo on the mock cheque, however, led opposition politician Mohamed Sukri Omar of Selangor’s Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) Youth to criticise the involvement of an alcohol brand in school fundraisers. He argued that it could normalise alcohol in schools, potentially threatening Islamic values.
Furthermore, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek supported Omar’s stance, citing guidelines from 2018 that prohibit schools from accepting funds from tobacco or alcohol sponsors.
Not all agreed, however. Transport Minister Anthony Loke of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) pointed out that alcohol companies have supported Chinese school fundraisers for decades without controversy. He questioned why the issue was being raised now, suggesting it might be politically motivated.
Tiger Beer has also responded to the criticism by clarifying that, in fact, it does not provide direct monetary contributions to schools. Instead, its role in the CECC is limited to solely presenting local performing artists, thus helping to attract donors for the events. The company stressed that its involvement is not only respectful of religious and cultural sensitivities, but also fully compliant with local regulations.
Following the controversy, the Malaysian Cabinet has decided to maintain the existing guidelines, which bar the display and promotion of liquor on school premises.
