Beer ban in Selangor?

Beer ban in Selangor?

Terence Fernandez [The Sun]

PETALING JAYA (May 19, 2009) : Is the sale of beer going to be banned from retail outlets such as supermarkets, sundry shops and convenience stores in Selangor?

It may be hard to imagine that one of the most multi-ethnic and liberal states would take an extreme approach towards addressing social issues but a high powered meeting to be chaired by Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim on Thursday will see this proposal being tabled.

According to sources, the state government is against any form of banning the sale but has been under pressure by several groups, including PAS, to at least implement more stringent measures to control the sale of beer after midnight.

"The problem is one does not need a liquor licence to sell beer which is the main alcoholic beverage being consumed," said a source.

"Certain groups, PAS being one of them, are trying to push their own agenda to ban beer and liquor all together in Selangor. This is ridiculous as even in Kelantan, non-Muslims can buy beer from non-Muslim-run outlets," he said.

It is understood that the proposal was mooted by several Selangor PAS leaders who had used several local authorities, including the Shah Alam City Council, as a conduit.

The City Council had imposed a ban on beer sales in 24-hour retail outlets and has not allowed pubs to operate in some parts of the city. The legality of the ban is also in question.

The meeting to be held in the state government building in Shah Alam will be attended by all heads of local councils, several state executive councillors, representatives of the two main breweries, liquor traders and retailers.

Selangor Mufti Datuk Mohd Tamyes Abd. Wahid and Selangor CPO Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar will also be attending.

Consumer groups such as Fomca and the Muslim Consumers’ Association have also been invited, as is the Syariah Lawyers Association. However, the absence of an invitation to the Bar Council appears conspicuous.

If the proposal to limit the sales of beer is adopted, then the hardest hit would be 24-hour outlets such as convenience stores and some petrol marts, said a beer trader.

"This does not make sense as one can still buy beer in Chinese coffee shops, some of which operate 24 hours as well," he said.

Tesco Stores (M) Sdn Bhd director of corporate and legal affairs Azlam Shah Alias, who will be attending the meeting, said the hypermarket has fulfilled all requirements in selling hard liquour, such as creating a separate section, complete with a special counter.

"We sell it until 9pm and when time’s up, we shut down our rollers, but for beer it is a bit tricky as it is the layman’s drink," he said when contacted. Azlam admitted it was going to be tough to meet in the middle where the sale of beer is concerned.

"But we will see how best we can come to compromise in fulfilling our social obligations without affecting our business," he added.

Meanwhile, state executive councillor for local government Ronnie Liu said the meeting was called to allow all stakeholders to have their say.

"We cannot be too conservative in a multi-racial society but at the same time the state government understands the concerns of those opposed to the sale of beer after midnight," he said when contacted.

Liu said there were concerns of people getting rowdy after drinking too much and supports a certain measure of control as long as it was practical and does not affect the rights of responsible individuals.

"I believe in controlling certain things but we must be reasonable, that’s why I want this discussion to take place so that it will enable all quarters to understand the issue better and reach a compromise.

"Even in Australia you cannot hold a can of beer and walk in the streets as there is a tendency to be rowdy, so that kind of control I am open to but to stop convenience outlets from selling beers totally is not a good solution," he said.

Liu added that as there are other 24-hour outlets, any ruling must be fair and standardised or else the state will be seen as favouring some outlets while victimising others.

Updated: 12:45AM Wed, 20 May 2009