Gerakan president Datuk Dr Dominic Lau has pushed back against claims that states governed by Perikatan Nasional (PN) lack entertainment options, using a karaoke session in Kuala Terengganu as his latest example.
In a Facebook post, Lau said he recently visited Mayang Mall in Kuala Terengganu while attending Gerakan’s state delegates conference and decided to try out the karaoke facilities there.
Lau said the equipment, environment, décor and overall experience were comparable to karaoke outlets in Kuala Lumpur.
‘Then what am I doing here?’
Lau questioned the narrative that voting for PN would mean giving up entertainment.
He jokingly asked that if PN-led states supposedly had no entertainment, then what exactly was he doing standing in a karaoke room with a microphone in hand.
Lau said the Kuala Terengganu outlet had sound, lighting and a large screen, and that visitors could sing and enjoy themselves just like anywhere else.
He used the visit to argue that PN governance does not mean people cannot enjoy reasonable forms of entertainment and leisure.
Latest in series of posts defending PN-led states
The karaoke post is Lau’s latest response to criticism surrounding lifestyle restrictions in PN-led states.
Recently, he has also posted about bak kut teh, beer and pork sales in Kelantan, arguing that some political narratives selectively present situations in a way that creates fear among voters.
Lau said Malaysia is a multicultural country where different communities have different dietary habits, cultures and lifestyles.
He argued that political leaders should respect those differences rather than use them to create division.
Says political competition should stick to facts
Lau said people do not have to support PN, but urged voters to judge political parties based on facts rather than what he described as baseless accusations.
Politics can have competition and different positions, but we cannot turn lies into propaganda just to win votes.”
He added that Malaysians should still be able to “eat bak kut teh, drink beer, sing karaoke and enjoy life”, regardless of which political coalition governs their state.
His remarks come amid campaigning for the Melaka state election, where issues involving lifestyle, food and cultural freedoms have increasingly become part of the political debate.
