Don't pass the buck on hard liquor ban - KL MPs tell Shahidan

 

Seven Pakatan Harapan MPs have urged Federal Territories Minister Shahidan Kassim not to pass the buck on the ban on hard liquor sales in certain premises in Kuala Lumpur.

They say Shahidan had claimed the ban was the decision of the Excise Licensing Board, which had non-Muslims as board members.

“We are appalled that Shahidan chose to pass the buck to the Excise Licensing Board instead of telling the truth and help resolve the situation by reversing the ban.

“In fact, this Excise Licensing Board is a government agency under Shahidan’s ministry. This means the minister has the power to change or amend any wrong decisions,” the seven Harapan MPs said in a statement today.

The MPs include Tan Kok Wai (DAP-Cheras), Fong Kui Lun (DAP-Bukit Bintang), Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh), Lim Lip Eng (DAP-Kepong), Hannah Yeoh (DAP-Segambut), Tan Yee Kew (PKR-Wangsa Maju), and P Prabakaran (PKR-Batu).

The Harapan MPs said they have been engaging with Shahidan on this ban since he became the federal territories minister, which means he is very familiar with the situation.

“He (Shahidan) had even repeatedly promised us that he will come out with a liquor sales directive on a ‘win-win’ basis.

“However, the directive issued by the DBKL’s licensing and business development department of DBKL on Nov 1, 2021 was not a ‘win-win’ solution,” they said.

The ban is “unfair” and a direct assault on the business and consumers” rights of non-Muslims, they said.

They say they have told Shahidan that sundry shops and Chinese medicine halls in Kuala Lumpur are considered small and medium businesses with low profit margins.

“The sales of liquor to non-Muslims in these shops is one of the main sources of revenue for them,” they said.

Not only that, they added that such a ban on hard liquor sales will encourage more illicit trade of liquor and sales of unlicensed liquor in the city.

Last year, DBKL issued a set of guidelines imposing a ban on alcohol sales in groceries, convenience stores as well as Chinese medicinal shops.

The new rules were supposed to take effect on Oct 1 but DBKL postponed them on the eve of implementation.

During the month-long postponement, DBKL said it had consulted with various stakeholders on the matter. 

In the guideline, DBKL also addressed concerns raised by Chinese medicinal shops, stating that they will be allowed to sell liquor-based medicinal products as long as they are approved by the Health Ministry. - Mkini