KUCHING: DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has accused the federal government of interfering in the customary lifestyle and business practices of non-Muslims in the country.
He said this can be seen with the Kuala Lumpur City Hall's (DBKL) move to ban sundry shops, convenience stores and Chinese medicine shops from selling hard liquor.
In addition, the Bagan member of Parliament said the Perlis government through its local councils had also limited beer sales at coffee shops in the state to only four cartons per day.
This after a customs department briefing to Kopitiam and restaurant operators in Perlis, warned them of a crackdown on those selling beer at their outlets without getting a liquor licence.
China Press quoting customs officers said both rules will take effect in January, in line with a 1976 excise regulation requirement.
"This is not just about imposing additional financial burden by paying extra licensing costs by coffee shops and restaurants of more than RM1,000, but also deliberately imposing unnecessary restrictions and interfering in the customary lifestyle and business practices on non-Muslims," he said in a statement today.
Lim said the latest ruling by the Customs Department next year on all coffee shops and restaurants will adversely impact over ten thousand business establishments throughout the country.
He claimed that with the small profit margin on selling beer, some small coffee shops may even be compelled to stop selling beer because they cannot afford the over RM1,000 in licensing fees.
"When I was Finance Minister as well as other previous Finance Ministers, this was never brought up or became an issue. This is a new ruling by the current government influenced by Pas extremist policies," Lim claimed.
"The non-Muslim Ministers in Cabinet, especially those from Sabah and Sarawak, must bear full responsibility and explain why they did not stop but instead permitted or supported such extremist policies," he said.
"Supporting the non-Muslim ministers including Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) in the coming Sarawak election will only lead to erosion and even deprivation of non-Muslim rights to satisfy the extremist policies of Pas," he said.
Lim urged the local governments, especially in the Pakatan Harapan states, not to implement such regulations that restrict and limit the existing rights of non-Muslims.
"DAP shall also instruct our lawyers to examine the regulations to challenge in court these restrictions on coffee shops and restaurants selling beer requiring alcohol licenses," he added.
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