Drop ban on Muslim workers in booze outlets, MPSJ told
The Selangor government today instructed the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) to retract its new licensing guideline banning Muslims from working in entertainment establishments serving alcohol - a day after Komunitikini highlighted the issue.
State housing and local government exco Ronnie Liu confirmed that a directive was issued to MPSJ president Md Adnan Ikhsan this morning to withdraw the new condition as the state had not been made aware of the matter.
"We were not consulted (on the matter). That's why we asked them to withdraw it first," Liu (
left
) said.
Sensing controversy over the ban among the public, the Pandamaran assemblyman an hour ago commented on last night's Komunitikini report on the new MPSJ guideline, saying, "The state has advised the YDP (president) of MPSJ to withdraw the new condition intended for renewal of licences for the pubs. The state was not consulted in this matter."
Liu also said the new guideline was raised at the state exco meeting yesterday, which decided to issue the directive to MPSJ.
However, he did not want to comment whether MPSJ was empowered to formulate such a term, based on the provisions of Selangor Syariah law, in its licensing conditions.
“(The guideline) is just not practical. If all of them have to be retrenched, who is going to find jobs for them?” he told Komunitikini .
Yesterday, Komunitikini reported MPSJ's introduction of the new licensing guideline that bans entertainment establishments from employing Muslim workers on grounds that this contravened Section 18(2) of the Syariah Criminal Enactment of Selangor.
The new condition was tabled last year as part of "self-initiated improvements", MPSJ's public relations department said, adding that businesses that fail to abide by the condition would be subject to a compound or the withdrawal of their licences.
Read the full report on our sister site Komunitikini .
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