Now, confusion over sale of alcohol

 

Business groups want to know whether alcoholic drinks are deemed non-essential.

PETALING JAYA: Are the police or the government the ones setting the rules during lockdown? Business groups are asking this question as more confusion arises over the sale of alcohol during these two weeks.

Albert Chooi, the secretary of two trade groups, said he is perfectly fine with abiding with the rules for the lockdown, provided they are set in stone without any confusion or contradictions.

“It’s not for me to say who should set the rules, but just set the rules,” the secretary of the Selangor and Kuala Lumpur Wine and Spirit Chinese Dealer’s Association and the Associated Liquor Merchants Association of the Federation of Malaya told FMT.

“They have to tell us what is right so we know how we’re supposed to operate (during the lockdown).

“Just one person announcing is enough. Or else all the departments for the different sectors will say different things.”

This is unfair and makes things more difficult for businesses, he said, adding that many had already put in a lot of effort to get permission from the international trade and industry ministry (Miti) to operate.

“We have to wait and see. We have to follow what they implement in these 14 days.”

FMT reported earlier today that a shop selling alcoholic beverages was ordered to close because it was not considered an essential service during the June 1-14 lockdown.

This comes a day after police raided a shop selling alcoholic beverages in Bangsar, leaving business groups questioning whether the sale of such drinks was now banned.

Confirming the raid, Brickfields police chief Anuar Omar had told FMT that as per SOPs issued by the National Security Council (MKN), “all shops selling alcohol are to close immediately, like the Carlsberg factory”.

However, more confusion arose after senior minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob expressed surprise over the closures.

“Even the 7-11 that sells alcohol is (allowed to) open,” he told news portal The Vibes.

Meanwhile, Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said he, too, was unaware of the rule, telling the news portal to check with the Kuala Lumpur police chief.

Federation of Sundry Goods Merchants Association of Malaysia president Hong Chee Meng said its members have not had any issues so far, but expressed concern that they might run into trouble.

He said it is not right for the authorities to make things difficult for businesses when they are already going through a tough time during the lockdown.

“People buy (alcoholic drinks) to take home. They’re not drinking in restaurants or in the streets. I don’t see what’s the issue,” he said.

Hing said that if alcoholic drinks are not deemed essential, then carbonated drinks should also not be considered essential.

“In the past few days, sundry shops and mini-markets have not had much business,” he said. - FMT