Thesun 2009-05-20 Page04 Beer Ban In Selangor

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theSun

| WEDNESDAY MAY 20 2009

news without borders

Beer ban in Selangor? by Terence Fernandez [email protected]

PETALING JAYA: 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 chaired by Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim tomorrow 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. So has 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.” 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 multiracial 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 many 24-hour outlets, any ruling must be fair and standardised or else the state will be seen as favouring some outlets while victimising others.

» Good sense must prevail Page 13

Selangor to table Freedom of Information bill by Meena L. Ramadas [email protected]

PETALING JAYA: The government is rushing to table a bill on Freedom of Information Act in the next Selangor state assembly meeting. “We hope to complete the draft of the bill by July or latest, November this year,” exco member Elizabeth Wong said at the Selangor Press Freedom Day forum in Dewan Civic yesterday. “We want to increase transparency, accountability and good governance with the enactment of the law,” said Wong, who heads a Freedom of Information Committee to ensure that the law is endorsed by the federal government. “We feel that it is the right of the people to access information that governs their lives. This proposed law is a check-and-balance effort which is a part of good governance,” Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said. The act will allow citizens to access declassified state government documents. Wong said the government hoped federal laws would not override the enactment, adding that the main deterrent of its implementa-

tion is the Official Secrets Act (OSA). “We are not sure what records are under the OSA. As far as I know, the state government can contest the decision of the federal government on classified state documents under the OSA,” Khalid said. According to Centre for Independent Journalism head Sevan Doraisamy, the enactment will greatly benefit civil servants from accusations of corruption. “The benefits are that civil servants will finally get credit for the good work and the documents that are available to the public will clearly indicate the way in which a governmental plan was carried out,” he said. In the forum, the government also launched a newspaper called Selangor Kini and a TV Selangor website (www. tvselangor.com) aimed at promoting freedom of information among Selangor citizens. Khalid said Malaysia’s position in the International Freedom of the Press Index deteriorated from 92 in 2006 to 124 in 2007. Last year, Malaysia fell further to 132nd. “This does not reflect a country that claims to be democratic,” Khalid said.

We want to increase transparency, accountability and good governance with the enactment of the law.” – Elizabeth Wong