KUALA Lumpur City Hall has restricted the sale of alcohol in convenience stores and Chinese medical halls effective today.

It said the sale of alcoholic beverages at the outlets will be allowed from 7am to 9pm.

“Outlets will provide special sales and exhibition space for beer, separate from other beverages.

“The exhibition space (for beer) must be closed after the end of permitted operation hours. Customers must be 21 years old and above,” it said in a statement.

On September 30, City Hall had postponed the ban on liquor sales by grocery and convenience stores as well as Chinese medicine halls to October 31.

City Hall said that the postponement of the ban’s enforcement was to allow a study related to the control of liquor sales in Kuala Lumpur to be completed.

It also said the sale of mixed liquor and pure liquor approved by the Health Ministry for traditional medical purposes can be sold at Chinese medicinal shops. 

It has listed down the licence guidelines for premises that can sell alcohol. 

It said the types of business activities that must get the licence are pubs, bars and lounges selling or serving liquor. 

This includes restaurants selling and serving liquor, warehouses that stores, sell, supply liquor and for events, promotions and programmes that serve liquor.

City Hall said the licence also applies to shophouses, hotels, shopping malls, supermarkets and hypermarkets. 

Pubs, bars, lounges and restaurants will be able to sell alcohol from 10am to midnight. 

“Application for extension of time can be made based on the time limit of entertainment activities or the determination in the zone of the entertainment centre that has been approved and the maximum time for liquor sales until 2am only,” City Hall said.

As for wholesale and retail outlets, the operating time will be from 7am to 9pm.

City Hall also said owners of business premises selling liquor must ensure their outlets do not face or be within 100m of police stations, houses of worship, schools, hospitals and residential houses.

“Business premises must display the licence at all times as well as the QR code at the entrance of the premises.  

“Blue – can be served on business premises. Yellow – can be taken home only,” it said.

City Hall also said applicants and licence holders are only allowed for non-Muslims. 

“The owners of the business premises, sole proprietors or partnerships as well as the majority of the company board members must be non-Muslims,” it added. – November 1, 2021.