Terengganu officials today stressed that the proposal to bar Muslims from patronising outlets which sell alcoholic beverages in the PAS-controlled state was religious in nature and warned critics not to blow it out of proportion.

The proposal by the Terengganu Municipal Council (MPKT) drew flak from various quarters, who claimed that it was an assault on individual rights.

However, PAS MP for Kuala Terengganu Dr Syed Azman Syed Ahmad Nawawi refuted this

He said the rules in Islam pertaining to the issue were clear and the authorities were merely seeking to carry out their duties by enforcing a teaching that some Muslims as well as non-Muslims may not be aware of.

"This is something that deals with hukum (religious rules) in Islam. We want to educate the public, the Malay Muslims, that you cannot be in a place such as bars or karaokes that serve alcoholic drinks," he stressed when contacted.

He also clarified that the ruling does not mean, as claimed by critics, that Muslims will be prohibited from even entering hotels which house restaurants or bars selling alcoholic drinks.

The parliamentarian was also confident that such a ruling would not affect interaction between Muslims and non-Muslims.

"It's not a problem at all. We can form a political front and sit with (non-Muslims) to discuss things. It just means not at a bar. I don't think the Indians or the Chinese will mind.

"All along we've been sitting around with non-Muslims drinking coffee at Chinese coffee-houses. We have no problems with that," he said.

'Islamic way of life'

Echoing this was MPKT head Dr Sulaiman Abdullah, who said the prohibition had nothing to do with questions of democracy or of social segregation.

"It has nothing to do with democracy. Those who oppose the ruling don't understand that it is a requirement of the Islamic way of life," he said when contacted.

Sulaiman added that Kuala Terengganu has numerous places where Muslims and non-Muslims can sit for drinks and meals together.

"We don't stop non-Muslims from drinking. But there is (only) a small number of such shops (serving alcoholic beverages) in Kuala Terengganu. There are many other shops and restaurants. There's no question of social segregation. They can talk at other restaurants," he said.

Yesterday, Deputy Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin lambasted the PAS government over the proposal, saying that it would curtail democracy.

"What is the meaning of democracy if Muslims are not allowed to enter premises that sell alcoholic drinks? Where then would the leaders of Islamic parties stay when they come to Kuala Lumpur as most of the hotels here serve alcoholic drinks?

"If they cannot even sit together with their Muslim brothers, are we to believe that they are able to co-exist with non-Muslims to form a political front to rule this country?" said the deputy minister.