Kuching Malay elected representatives, including a state minister and an assistant minister, have decided to recommend to the Sarawak government to gazette Malay/Muslim-majority areas within Kuching Division as alcohol-free zones amid growing concerns over rising social problems among Malay youths.

"The matter will be referred to the state cabinet to decide on the proper law for it," Sarawak Tourism Minister and Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) deputy president Abang Johari Openg told reporters this morning after meeting with Malay community leaders, non-government organisations (NGOs), local councils and police.

The move would apply to such areas as Petra Jaya, the Malay kampungs in parts of Kuching City North, Santubong, Buntal and Telaga Ai.

Presently, kampung shops which are either run by Malay/Muslims or non Muslims sell beers and alcohol. They will all have to stop this once the new law is in place.

Johari said he was not aware whether any other states, other than Kelantan and Terengganu, in Malaysia had gazetted such a law.

Gang fights

Present at the press conference were the Petra Jaya member of parliament and former federal minister Dr Sulaiman Daud, assistant minister and Demak Laut state assemblyperson Dr Rauf Abang Zain, Tupong state assemblyperson Daud Abdul Rahman and Pantai Damai state assemblyperson Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi.

The meeting was prompted by recent gang fights among drunken Malay youths in and around Kuching. One incident near the new Tun Salahuddin Bridge in Pending appeared to be an open challenge against law-enforcement authorities.

Johari, who is the state assemblyperson for Satok, a largely Kuching urban Malay/Muslim majority state constituency, said based on police briefings, one of the reasons for the recent unruly and menacing behaviour of the youths was the influence of alcohol.

He also indicated other possible reasons, including the difficulty on the part of many young Malays who had migrated to urban centres in adjusting to their new environment.

He added that the social problems did not originate solely from within the Kuching Malay community itself.

"It is also a problem of many youths who have moved together with their parents to Kuching when facing cultural shocks as a result of the migration."

Form of escapism

According to police, more than 90 percent of the youths involved were unemployed, and they had turned to the consumption of drinks such as locally-made spirits cap apek and cap langkau with as high as 40 percent alcohol content, perhaps as a form of escapism.

Johari told reporters that once the Malay kampungs and other predominantly-Malay/Muslim areas have been gazetted as alcohol-free zones the police could act against anyone, so long as there is enough evidence, for producing, selling and buying alcohol.

Anyone trying to smuggle in alcohol can also be dealt with under the law which is expected to come under the local authority ordinance.

The minister added that he expected cafes and pubs outside the Malay/Muslim areas to display signs prominently within their premises to prohibit the sale of alcohol to Muslims.

He hoped that the gazetting of the areas would act as a catalyst leading to similar declaration covering other Malay kampungs or Malay/Muslim areas in other parts of Sarawak.

Johari also disclosed that the elected representatives would soon commission academics to undertake an indepth study on the social impact of urbanisation on the Malay community.

He said it was important to do this in order to be fully aware of the problems and identify the causes and what could be done to prevent the situation from worsening.