With reference to the Terengganu state government's intention to ban public drinking, I would like to share my experience during my stay in the United States from August 1993 to December 1995.

I still remember that I was so shocked that people who stay in Iowa (the state where I was) are not allowed to drink any alcoholic beverages publicly. If the containers (bottles, cans, and so on) are found open with you around, you can be convicted for public drinking even though you have not done so.

The rationale behind this is to curb drunk driving or public disturbances caused by drunks. So, if you must drink, you have to drink it at home or in the bar only. There is no coffee shop that sells beer over there, unlike here.

In the past, the US government did ban all types of alcoholic beverages for the same reasons as above. But it ended up with more people making and selling illegal wine, which created even more problems. Al Capone became the richest criminal, thanks to this enterprise, before he was arrested.

I strongly urge those who oppose the ban of public drinking to reconsider their stand. Remember that Barisan Nasional also imposes the Islamic way of life albeit given much lower coverage. For example, anybody who visits the wet market in SS15 Subang Jaya would think that the stalls that sell pork are public toilets. Whereas in Kelantan, the people there are so used to seeing pork that it can even be sold publicly.

Of course, we must also send the message very clearly to the PAS government that supporting the ban on public drinking in no way implies our support of Islamic administration.