PETALING JAYA: Multiple stakeholders are appealing the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) decision to ban the sales of liquor at convenience stores, sundry shops and Chinese medicine halls.

       The guidelines on the liquor sales restriction, which excludes beer, were first brought up on Nov 15 last year.

       Initially set to be enforced on Oct 1 this year, the ban was postponed for a month for the guidelines to be finalised.

       With the new guidelines, now sundry shops, convenience shops and Chinese medicine halls can only sell beer, and only from 7am to 9pm.

       A Federation of Malaysia Chinese Commerce Association representative insisted that it will continue to safeguard the right of Chinese businesses to sell liquor.

       “We will work together and convince the authorities to allow the sale of liquor at the above premises.

       “The guidelines have affected small and medium businesses badly, and DBKL should not implement this now as retail businesses are recovering from the (Covid-19) pandemic,” he said.

       Federal Territory and Selangor Chinese Medicine/Drug Dealers Association president Loh Kim Fong said about 300 Chinese medicine hall owners might suffer up to RM500,000 in losses in the form of unsold liquor.

       “DBKL also did not provide proper categories for hard liquor and medicinal liquor.

       “We now have to get additional approvals from the Health Ministry on the sale of herbal liquor under the new guidelines,” he said.

       Federal Territories MCA DBKL Affairs Bureau chief Banie Chin said DBKL is blatantly ignoring the pleas of stakeholders.

       “Various stakeholders had opposed the guidelines but the authorities still went ahead.

       “DBKL should be penalising individuals who misuse liquor, and not the sellers,” he said.

       Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai said the DBKL ruling goes against the very spirit of the “Malaysian Family” as it encroaches into the rights and livelihoods of non-Muslim businesses.

       “Many are worried that this ruling by DBKL may set a precedence for other local councils in the Klang Valley,” he added.

       Tan also expressed concern on whether social event organisers would need to apply for a licence to serve liquor at private functions in Kuala Lumpur.

       One of the clauses in the guidelines stated that events that serve liquor will require a licence from DBKL.

       However, several non-governmental and resident groups are in favour of the ruling.

       Malaysian Anti-Cheap Liquor Movement (MACLM) president P. David Marshel said he is supportive of the ruling as it would help curb the sale of cheap and/or counterfeit liquor.

       “The new guidelines are a stepping stone for addressing the sale of cheap and counterfeit liquor holistically.

       “We also hope that DBKL can do extensive enforcement so that the guidelines can be fully enforced,” he said in a statement.

       Brickfields Rukun Tetangga chairman SKK Naidu said he agrees with the ban on liquor sales for convenience stores and sundry shops, but not Chinese medicine halls.

       “We receive a lot of complaints of drunks creating a nuisance such as making loud noises and defecating and sleeping in public, due to the easy availability of liquor at convenience stores.

       “However, I do not agree with the ban of liquor sales in Chinese medicine halls as these are consumed for remedial or therapeutic purposes,” he said.