MCA has been told not to divert attention from its "impotence" against a DBKL ban on a beer festival by maligning DAP.

Bukit Gasing assemblyperson Rajiv Rishyakaran called MCA central committee member Ti Lian Ker's claim that DAP had done nothing when the Oktoberfest in Petaling Jaya three years ago was blocked, "baseless and malicious".

"DAP has always stood for the rights and freedoms of all races, as enshrined in our constitution.

"This includes the right for non-Muslim adults to consume alcohol responsibly, the right to hold an event in a controlled environment, as approved by the police and other relevant authorities.

"In the One Utama Oktoberfest issue of 2014, DAP leaders ensured the right for the event to be held on such grounds," he said in a statement today.

Rajiv added that it was the organiser's own decision to move the event to the rooftop carpark, following a similar controversy that has afflicted this year's Better Beer Festival in Kuala Lumpur.

"Such a move (of venue) by the organisers is understandable, (because) as a major shopping complex, they (One Utama) would have to balance the needs of all their stakeholders."

In 2014, PAS Selangor exco Iskandar Abdul Samad criticised the Oktoberfest to be held in the state, and the matter was eventually resolved with the event being moved from the mall's open-air carpark to the fourth-floor parking lot.

The move did not deter participants to the event, which included opposition leaders such as DAP national vice-chairperson Teresa Kok, who courted criticisms for her show of support.

From sensitivity to security

Ti was responding to criticisms against MCA for their failure to stop DBKL from rejecting the Better Beer Festival's permit.

The second largest BN component party's leaders further drew scorn when they shifted from criticising the ban, to accepting the government's rationale.

The authorities initially said the rejection was due to "political sensitivity" following a complaint by a PAS leader that promoting beer drinking would increase vice.

Subsequently, the authorities said "security concerns" fuelled the rejection, and later the police claimed the reason was "militant threat".

"Ti should not try to cover up for MCA's incompetence and impotence by spewing malicious lies against the DAP.

"Instead he should focus his venom on DBKL under his own BN government which has become more PAS than PAS," said Rajiv.