Gaming, liquor bans attempts to deny non-Muslim rights, fumes Ramasamy
Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy is fuming over the latest clampdowns on gaming and liquor sales, saying these are moves to control non-Muslims and deprive them of their right to decide what is good or bad for them.
“Whoever said that Malaysia is a secular nation with a secular Constitution where the rights of the non-Muslims are protected”
“Over the years there have been...
Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy is fuming over the latest clampdowns on gaming and liquor sales, saying these are moves to control non-Muslims and deprive them of their right to decide what is good or bad for them.
“Whoever said that Malaysia is a secular nation with a secular constitution where the rights of the non-Muslims are protected”
“Over the years there have been both subtle and overt forms of Islamisation. These are to deny non-Muslims the right to make decisions on a whole range of matters - there are more and more restrictions on the choice of non-Muslims,” said Ramasamy (above) in a forthright statement this afternoon.
He was responding to news that the Kedah state government has ordered all the local councils in the state to ban 4D gaming outlets, which came to the heels of a ban on the sale of liquor in sundry, retail and Chinese medicine shops in Kuala Lumpur.
“It is not about drinking alcohol or even gambling in the gaming shops. Not all non-Muslims drink alcohol and not all patronise the 4D gaming shops.
“It is for the non-Muslims to decide for themselves what is good and not good.
“There is no need for moral policing resulting in the denial of their rights whether to consume or not to consume alcohol. Or their right to make decisions about their involvement in gambling,” he said.
Non-Muslims not subject to moral policing
Malaysia’s non-Muslims have freedom of association with regard to religious practices and are not subject to moral policing, unlike their Muslim counterparts.
“The bold and insensitive move started with the recent ban on the sale of alcohol by the Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur ( DBKL) despite protests.
“Emboldened by the DBKL’s move against non-Muslim retail shops, the Kedah state government has now ordered all the local councils in the state to ban the 4D gaming outlets.
“Now if this decision is not Islamisation against the rights of non-Muslims, then what is it?” he asked.
“If the state wants to ban Muslims from frequenting the gaming centres, I have nothing to say but the state government or the local councils have no right to deny non-Muslims their right to frequent or not to frequent the gaming outlets.
“Why this bigotry against the non-Muslims? Are they not citizens who have paid their taxes?
“What wrong have they done to antagonise (Kedah Menteri Besar) Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor for him to take punitive measures to punish them?
“Don’t they have the right to make their own decisions whether to consume alcohol or to frequent 4D gaming outlets?
“Who is Sanusi to deny the rights of the non-Muslims?” he asked.
Sanusi also announced that steps would be taken to restrict the sale of alcohol in rural areas.
“If, by and large, Muslims do not consume alcohol, what then is Sanusi’s problem?” asked Ramasamy.
He also questioned parties in the ruling federal government such as MCA, MIC and Gerakan to state their stand on the matter.
Yesterday, the cabinet announced that it had agreed to allow Timah whiskey to maintain its name.
Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong along with Domestic Trade and Cooperatives Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi both said the manufacturer will be required to include an additional label on the whiskey bottle to explain that its name was in reference to “bijih timah” - the Bahasa Malaysia term for tin ores.
“MCA can take credit for the sale of Timah whiskey now but what a pathetic victory,” said Ramasamy.
'PAS should consult MCA, MIC'
Separately, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng in a statement also said PAS should have consulted MCA and MIC as its partners in government before making the decision, to at least understand the potential financial losses.
He added that targeting gambling outlets and alcohol sales is a useful political device to distract attention away from the alleged failings of the Kedah state government.
"By bullying a minority, the Kedah menteri besar feels he can reap the maximum political benefit with a minimal political cost.
"Non-Muslims do not understand why they are singled out when they sell to non-Muslims, not Muslims, especially when Muslims are prohibited from patronising these outlets.
"Fines can be imposed on those who sell to Muslims but to ban such activities will be seen as PAS’ attempt to forcibly impose its extremist values on non-Muslims contrary to diversity and plural society.
"PAS or anyone can discourage them, but banning them outright is a form of moral policing that denies freedom of choice for non-Muslims," said Lim.
Meanwhile, DAP national legal bureau chairperson Ramkarpal Singh urged the federal government to intervene in what he argued was an abuse of power by the state government, or risk being seen as weak in eyes of the public.
He said while Section 107(3) of the Local Government Act 1976 provides that a local authority has the discretion to refuse to renew such licences, the discretion must be exercised within the confines of the law.
"As gaming operators have been renewing their licences without any problems over the years, they have a legitimate expectation that same will be renewed as this affects their livelihood.
"Unless, of course, they fail to comply with any regulation in force which may justify the refusal to renew their licences," said the Bukit Gelugor MP.
"That is certainly not the case here as the Kedah MB has announced that the state will not renew their licences based on his own personal beliefs which he has no right to do.
"As MB, Sanusi cannot do anything he likes as he is bound by laws which he cannot ignore," he stressed.
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