YOURSAY | ‘Muslims may not consider alcohol as essential food but many non-Muslims do.’

PAS respects non-Muslim rights, but beer brewing is not an 'essential service'

Just Wondering: PAS information chief Kamaruzzaman Mohamad, if you and PAS really respect the rights of non-Muslims and want to be a force for harmony in society, your statement should read as follows:

"As PAS respects the legitimate rights of non-Muslims to their own values and the Islamic concept of ‘to you your religion, to me mine’, we urge all members of our multi-religious society to harmoniously accept our diversity. There is no need for any politician to be grandstanding and creating disharmony out of this non-issue, and we roundly condemn those that do so.

“As always, PAS will uphold the Federal Constitution, the spirit of Rukun Negara and the true essence of Islamic teachings. We note that all other major religions in this country enjoin the same. This non-issue is now closed."

In doing so, PAS will be a force for good and ambassador for "Rahmatan lil 'Alamin". Would this kind of statement betray PAS and affect the values of its members? How about it, Tuan?

Kawak: PAS, please we non-Muslims in Malaysia don't trust whatever you say. Your record all the while has been anti-non-Muslims. This is not the first time beer has been made an issue by PAS.

To add salt to the wound, PAS has decreed non-Muslims cannot hold important government posts and voting for non-Muslim leaders is ‘haram’. PAS is the biggest bigot in Malaysia and is as dangerous and harmful as Covid-19 in Malaysian politics.

Anonymous #51362089: How do you quantify essential or not essential items? By your logic, PAS, is that we should also stop the production of soft drinks as we won’t die without soft drinks. Let’s do that. Make more people lose their jobs and burden the government even more.

The rules say that food and beverages are under essential services. Period. Nothing about halal food or non-halal food, halal beverages or non-halal beverages.

I’m a non-drinker by the way. Just my two cents worth of opinion.

Mazilamani: It does not matter if PAS respects the rights or wishes of the non-Muslims. We are more concern about the economic health of this country. For as long as the country's economy is favourable, there will be peace and harmony among races.

PAS should avoid interfering or imposing their religious standards on government decisions.

We continuously fail to understand that 80 percent of the employment force are Malays and that the products they are engaged to produce such as beer have never influenced them. They continue to remain devout Muslims.

As leaders, you are obligated to jointly support and develop the nation and the people, and not to tread into uninvited areas under the guise of religion.

Anonymous_1544340881: When this pandemic is over, why not ask the Department of Islamic Development (Jakim) to arrest all Muslims working for the beer producers.

The government had shown itself to be weak. This is all the more surprising when a certain minister had said that having an almost all Malay-Muslim government will make it easier to handle Malay Muslim extremists.

RZee: There are two things wrong here. Firstly, PAS says that they respect non-Muslims rights. Wrong. They don’t.

The second is about drinking beer. It never was. It is about producing, selling and exporting it which has to do with the economy, businesses, jobs and livelihoods of people. So, PAS please spare us the lecture and attempted justification of your narrow-minded and destructive acts.

Beerismylife: By disallowing two breweries from resuming nominal operation, PAS, Umno and Bersatu are impinging on my rights as a non-Muslim to drink my beverage of choice.

I view beer as essential to me because I do not drink sugary drinks like Coke or Sprite. More importantly, I do not impinge on Muslims' rights to drink sugary drinks even though it causes diabetes and all sorts of health issues. You are free to destroy your own health with sugar and so am I with alcohol.

Politicians should not be using this as a platform to earn Brownie points with the citizens, especially in these dire times where the entire country is trying to survive the Covid-19 pandemic. Shame on you.

David Dass: Muslims may not consider alcohol as essential food but many non-Muslims do. Do not associate the consumption of alcohol with drunkenness and bad behaviour.

The consumption of wine as a table drink during meals is consistent with civilised behaviour and habits in many societies.

And there are differences. Hindus do not eat beef as they consider the cow sacred. Many Hindus are vegetarians as they consider all life sacred.

The first miracle of Jesus Christ was converting water into wine. Wine is an important element in the celebration of the Catholic mass. Some wines are used for medicinal purposes.

Our system allows for such differences.

Vijay47: Let us focus on just the preparation or manufacture of food and drinks. You hold that alcoholic drinks do not fall within the essential. What does then?

Does food become essential only if it satisfies the Muslim palate? A mug of beer, a glass of whisky, in my case of vodka, with Sprite, yes ice please thank you, may not be the Islamic cup of tea.

Why should that then intrude into my non-Muslim rights – remember your noble claim of respect for our rights?

Again, the voice cries out “What is essential?” Must everyone partake of only nasi lemak? Should it be with sambal udang or ikan bilis?

It is worse when it comes to drinks. Plain water or air sirap? Where does air sirap bandung fall into?

Things can be confusing and challenging when we needlessly compel ourselves to venture into the metaphysics of food and drinks.

I say keep it to the simple – to you, yours, to me, my Vodka, with Sprite, yes ice please thank you. And I assure you, a good time will be had by all.

Libra: It is very good that PAS is concerned about non-Muslims interest and against non-essential services ban.

In the same tone, you should also be aware that many non-Muslims also do not want corrupt leaders and are against such characters taking office. I am sure you will agree and support that too.

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