Saturday, August 08, 2009

Private Thots: PAS Raised A Right Social Concern





aNt's aNgle - private thots:

Hip Hip Hooray!

So the Selangor Government has come up with a ruling that there will be no alcohol ban in convenient stores. Instead, local 7-Eleven's, 99's and others will have to practise self-regulation of the sale of alcohol in stores first in Shah Alam, and then in other places in the state. (See today's Star's story below)


Whether on religious grounds or not, I think PAS should be highly commended for its call on the banning of the controversial colourless liquid that can make us all drunk.

By doing so the Islamic political party has done a wonderful job in raising a terrible social problem that has not only bugged us for so long but also been swept under the carpet for twice as long.

It's easy to label genuine concern away as "moralistic" or an "extremist" view.

It's funny how none of the media report I've read so far since this controversy started brewing in the press ever spoke about the root of the issue: ALCOHOLISM.


It's that dirty 10-letter word that makes us to shun away from anyone who is "unable to hold his or her drink down" in public gatherings. It's that dirty word that turns women into sex objects in beer advertisements and makes daddy's beat their mummies to a pulp at night whilst a cowed neighbourhood witness the terror in trauma.

Broken families, marriages, divorce, physical abuse . . . and let's not forget drink driving. People either get killed or maimed because of a "one too many a drink".

Just think of the numbers of people who are made crippled for life through drink driving.

It's easy for society to point a finger at parents and blame them for not being able to control their teenagers for drinking. But try doing that especially if you are a single woman parent and see if that is all that straightforward and easy as it seems.

Governments should take responsibility in trying to reduce the social ills is society. Trying to make alcohol harder for teenagers and children to access them is a right thing to do.

I think that is the real issue here.

Asking politicians like Ronnie Liu to quit, is ludicrous and as the Mentri Besar said, is a "non-issue."

Meanwhile, I think it is the beer companies that are profitting from all of this controversy. All this brouhaha will only give them a fatter wallet in the end whilst lives especially in the poorer communities continue to be destroyed.

PET-BLOGSPOT


Saturday August 8, 2009

Self-regulate sale of alcohol, stores told


SHAH ALAM: Convenience stores in Muslim-majority areas are not banned from selling alcohol to non-Muslims, Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said yesterday.

However, he said the stores owners must practise self-regulation and have a separate cooler for alcohol.

The self-regulatory move would start in stores from Section 1 to 24 in Shah Alam before it is extended to other Muslim-majority areas in the state, he told reporters after a meeting with convenience store owners and the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) Mayor Datuk Mazalan Md Noor yesterday.

“Our aim is not to infringe on the cultural rights and beliefs of the non-Muslims and at the same time we do not need to come up with too many laws to control the drinking habits among the Muslims and teenagers,” he said.

Khalid added that the 100 letters sent by MBSA to convenience stores to stop the sale of alcohol were null and void.

KK Group of Companies business owner Datuk Dr Douglas K.K. Chai said the decision to let convenience stores to self-regulate the sale of alcohol was a good move.

“Alcoholic beverages contribute to our sales.

“But we respect all people and their religious and cultural beliefs,” he said.

MBSA Mayor Mazalan said the city council respects the decision and it would assist the businessmen in the self-regulatory move.



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1 comment:

stanley said...

Anthony why pick on people who drink beer of get addicted to Alcohol . Were is self control gone to. I work for a beer company in Selangor who make by the millions and pay taxes by the millions to the government before the beer is consumed ,there are so many Muslim working in the brewery they smell the smell of alcohol every day in their work but they don't consume it why their "REG LION" does not allow it. "DISCIPLINE" So if the Muslim in Selangor have "DISCIPLINE" Beer can be sold any where.