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Sunday, November 22, 2020

Tok Guru never sought to regulate alcohol sales for non-Muslims

Malaysiakini:



MP SPEAKS | Tok Guru never sought to regulate alcohol sales for non-Muslims

by Mohamed Hanipa Maidin

MP SPEAKS | It is unconstitutional, my friends.

The new ruling or guideline introduced by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) on the liquor licence prohibiting all sundry shops and convenient stores from selling liquors commencing on Oct 1, 2021, has caused tremendous uproars.

Some people express their utter dismay by asking: “Is our country being held to ransom by religious bigotry?”

To add salt to the injury, the deputy minister for religious affairs was reported to have said that the government has not ruled out the possibility of expanding the ban to all sundry shops, groceries, convenient stores and Chinese medicine shops across the country.

Being a Muslim, I am convinced that liquor is forbidden by my religion. But I am equally convinced that the prohibition shall never be extended to our non-Muslim friends. Therein lies the sanctity of freedom of religion, duly cherished by Islam.

It seems that the government has hard times in trying to justify the introduction of the aforesaid mind-boggling guideline by saying that such a guideline is merely a form of controlling or regulating the sale of liquor.

Truth be told, I wonder, how on earth can a total prohibition be considered a form of regulating?

Having said that, let us begin our deliberation on this issue by looking at the black letters of our highest law of the land i.e. the Federal Constitution.

Being a minister or a deputy ministers cum MPs, the said relevant members of the current administration have duly taken an oath agreeing to defend and protect the supremacy of the constitution. Are they now reneging on such a sacred oath?

Article 11 of the Federal Constitution categorically guarantees the fundamental right of all persons (even to non-citizens) to freedom of religion. All persons in this country are supposed to enjoy such freedom without any justified and lawful restrictions.

The right to freedom of religion is so vital in that no restriction to such rights, let alone a blanket prohibition, shall even be entertained during an emergency. This solemn affirmation was duly pronounced by the then supreme court - the highest court in Malaysia - in the celebrated case of Joshua Jamaluddin.

Just like Muslims, the non-Muslims in this country are absolutely free to practice their own religion. This guarantee is duly enshrined in the said Article 11 of our Federal Constitution.



Dealing with liquors - consuming, drinking, selling and buying - by non-Muslims, is considered to be part and parcel of such religious practices. Be that as it may, it can't be restricted let alone banned or absolutely forbidden.

Is it true or correct for a government to argue that the guideline imposed by DBKL is merely aimed at regulating the sale of alcohol?

With due respect, I find such a lame excuse, unduly canvassed by the government minister, is at best amusing and at worst preposterous.

Yes, regulating the sale of liquor may be constitutionally justified. For instance, the guideline may stipulate certain conditions in respect of selling the alcohol.

The guideline, for example, may impose a restriction by disallowing the sale of liquor to any non-Muslims who are of tender years. Such a partial restriction may be constitutionally allowable as it is merely a form of regulating the sale of alcohol even to non-Muslims.

The ultimate effect of such a restriction, in my view, would not render their right to buy or sell alcohol to outrightly and completely vanish.

On the other hand, the present guideline imposed by DBKL is far from merely regulating the sale of alcohol per se. The guideline plainly seeks to impose a total prohibition of the sale of liquor in all sundry shops and convenient stores.

Yes, therein lies the problem. Therein lies the obvious infringement of the Federal Constitution.

Such a total prohibition would definitely have a tremendous effect of rendering the exercise of non-Muslims' right to practice their own religion as mockery and illusory. Hence, it is unconstitutional. Period.

Finally, it is so unfortunate that the statements championing the total prohibition of the sale of liquor in certain shops are coming from both leaders from Kelantan.

Are they really aware that even the learned and pious Muslim in Kelantan such as the late Tok Guru (Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat) did not even seek to issue any total ban of the sale of alcohol by and to non-Muslims?



MOHAMED HANIPA MAIDIN is the Sepang MP

11 comments:

  1. Almarhum Tok Guru Nik Aziz is in the past. Nowadays pas stalwarts don't even remember him anymore. Don't even remember his teachings. Look at his son the one named Nik Abudoh. He himself didn't follow any of his father's teaching. To him now everything is about money and power. Money to spend buying luxury cars and power to opress the rakyat.

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  2. See even this Muslim who is only an MP dare to bang table and criticise PAS.

    But the self-proclaimed protectors of Chinese and Indian interests in the cabinet, namely Wee KHAT Siong and Saravanan are BOH LAM PHAR.

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    Replies
    1. with 42 behind him, Book-Keeper & Papa's silence are deafening, boe laam phar

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    2. Where got silence, see, DAP's powerful FT leaders bang table, MCA got jeelo in FT but their division heads or Wee KHAT Siong how....no LAM PHAR to bang...?

      QUOTE
      FT DAP slams DBKL’s liquor sale ban in convenience stores next year, says stakeholders not consulted
      Tuesday, 17 Nov 2020

      BY KENNETH TEE

      KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 — The Federal Territory chapter of DAP has today slammed Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) latest ruling in disallowing liquor sale in convenience stores, Chinese medicine halls and sundry shops set to be enforced from next year onwards.

      Its national chairman and Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai said the new ruling violated the rights of non-Muslims as they were guaranteed freedom to practise their culture in the Federal Constitution.

      “Before DBKL announced the ruling, did they consult the stakeholders’ view? In addition to making life hard for the affected business, such measures also severely violate the non-Muslim way of life.

      “We believe DBKL should withdraw the ruling and allow the aforementioned business owners to maintain their current operating model which has been in place for more than half a century,” he said in a statement here.
      UNQUOTE

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    3. This was MCA in 2017 over Better Beer Festival, when they were not fren fren with PAS....today eating on the floor under PAS table...?

      QUOTE
      NO CHEERS FOR BAN

      SEPTEMBER 19, 2017 MALAYMAIL

      KUALA LUMPUR — The ban on the international beer fest in the city has drawn rebuke from both sides of the political divide.

      “I do not condone excessive drinking but we should also consider the fact that non-Muslims also have the right to consume alcohol as long as it does not cause disruption to others.” – Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Chua Tee Yong, who is also MCA vice-president.

      “The imposition of such a ban on Better Beer Festival 2017 in Kuala Lumpur is ridiculous.” – MIC Youth chief Datuk C. Sivaraajh

      “They (City Hall) cannot arbitrarily reject any application without giving a proper reason, especially when similar events have previously been approved.” – MCA Religious Harmony Bureau chairman Datuk Ti Lian Ker
      UNQUOTE

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    4. only DAP grassroots dare speak out, people like Ronnie Liu - the top dogs like Lims, Loke, TP dare not - boe laam phar lah

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    5. http://ktemoc.blogspot.com/2020/11/guan-eng-and-his-hypocrite-attacks-on.html?m=1

      When Lim Guan Eng speaks up, Ah Mok dubs him a hypocrite.
      If he does not speak up, Ah Mok dubs him Bo Laam Phar.
      I think Ah Mok has a more sinister Agenda than just criticising DAP leaders.

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    6. Grassroots? Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai is DAP National Chairman lah....and Tiger Teresa Kok Seputeh is a National Vice-Chairman.

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  3. i think hadi version is more islamic, didnt francis bacon said islamist used sword against kafir, thus that could be the truth spirit, always find way to fight/war us kafir.

    tok guru version that tok love, peace n inclusive sound very naive, he need reeducation, especially how muslim sword work best.

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  4. https://m.malaysiakini.com/news/552020

    MIC supports PAS.

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    Replies
    1. Kill Chinese Sundry and TCM shops....sell more toddy...ha ha ha...

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