Announce policies via agencies, not FB, MCA tells deputy minister
Published: Aug 25, 2025 10:18 PM
Updated: 12:18 AM
MCA today criticised Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying for using her Facebook page to communicate an official government stance relating to the storing of liquor at home.
In a statement today, MCA Youth vice-chief Tan Yang Pang said Lim should have made the announcement via the Customs and Excise Department, which is the suitable agency.
“Laws must be precise and enforceable. Ambiguity in matters of national policy should not permeate.
“If the government has indeed decided that members of the public are not required to obtain a licence to store legally purchased, duty-paid liquor at home, then this policy should be officially communicated through the Customs and Excise Department in the form of a formal statement or directive, not merely a post on social media,” he said.
Lim (above) announced on her Facebook page yesterday that no licence is required for the home storage of taxed liquor.
She said the policy had been confirmed with the Finance Ministry’s secretary-general, the director of Taxation, and the director-general of the Customs and Excise Department.
Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying’s Facebook post
Tan, however, lamented that Facebook posts hold no legal weight.
He also questioned whether Facebook has now become the Finance Ministry’s official platform for policy announcements.
“Are civil servants and enforcement officers now expected to scroll through social media to understand their directives?
“A Facebook post is not legally binding and fails to provide the public with any real assurance, leaving people vulnerable to raids, intimidation, or wrongful fines.
“Lim, you are a deputy minister, not a social media influencer. National matters and legislative policies cannot be brushed off with a simple post,” Tan added.
He insisted that such issues must not be handled casually, apathetically, or simplistically.
Alleged liquor limit
In a Facebook post written in Chinese, Lim clarified a Sin Chew Daily report from yesterday, which stated that the Customs and Excise Department had reminded the public that storing 30 bottles of hard liquor at home could amount to a breach of the law.
The report quoted the Customs and Excise Department as stating that, under Section 32(1) of the Excise Act 1976, individuals are permitted to store up to 15 litres of liquor.
It stated that any quantity beyond that may be deemed unlawful unless a valid storage permit has been obtained.
The report quoted a spokesperson explaining that keeping excessive amounts of alcohol could raise suspicions of illegal sale or misuse, and urged the public to comply strictly with the permitted limit.
Tan, however, lamented that Facebook posts hold no legal weight.
He also questioned whether Facebook has now become the Finance Ministry’s official platform for policy announcements.
“Are civil servants and enforcement officers now expected to scroll through social media to understand their directives?
“A Facebook post is not legally binding and fails to provide the public with any real assurance, leaving people vulnerable to raids, intimidation, or wrongful fines.
“Lim, you are a deputy minister, not a social media influencer. National matters and legislative policies cannot be brushed off with a simple post,” Tan added.
He insisted that such issues must not be handled casually, apathetically, or simplistically.
Alleged liquor limit
In a Facebook post written in Chinese, Lim clarified a Sin Chew Daily report from yesterday, which stated that the Customs and Excise Department had reminded the public that storing 30 bottles of hard liquor at home could amount to a breach of the law.
The report quoted the Customs and Excise Department as stating that, under Section 32(1) of the Excise Act 1976, individuals are permitted to store up to 15 litres of liquor.
It stated that any quantity beyond that may be deemed unlawful unless a valid storage permit has been obtained.
The report quoted a spokesperson explaining that keeping excessive amounts of alcohol could raise suspicions of illegal sale or misuse, and urged the public to comply strictly with the permitted limit.
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