THE government is showing traits of extremism by imposing new restrictions on coffee shops selling beer to non-Muslims and requiring them to apply for alcohol licences, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said today.

He said the federal government under the leadership of Ismail Sabri Yaakob was now adopting PAS’ extremist policies nationwide.

The Bagan MP added that such policies were unjust for the non-Muslims in the country.

He said this in reference to a report in China Press that coffee shops and restaurants in Perlis were limited to only four cartons of beer sales daily.

The report also stated that the Customs Department would be imposing new regulations beginning next year requiring all coffee shops and restaurants to get a licence in order to sell alcoholic beverages.

“This is not just about imposing additional financing burden by paying extra licensing costs by coffee shops and restaurants of more than RM1,000 under present difficult economic circumstances caused by the economic recession and Covid-19 pandemic.

“This is about deliberately imposing unnecessary restrictions and interfering in the customary lifestyle and business practices on non-Muslims that have been undisturbed since Merdeka to fulfil the political extremism of PAS,” he said in a statement.

Lim questioned if this was the real political motivation of the federal government to comply with the wishes of PAS.

He added that the ruling requiring all coffee shops and restaurants selling alcohol to get a licence would adversely impact over 10,000 business establishments throughout the country.

“With the small profit margin on selling beer, some small coffee shops may even be compelled to stop selling beer because they cannot afford the over RM1,000 in licencing fees.”

Lim, who was finance minister under Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) 22-month rule, said the non-Muslim ministers in the cabinet, especially those from Sabah and Sarawak, must bear full responsibility and explain why they did not stop such extremist policies by the federal government.

“Clearly, supporting non-Muslim ministers including GPS in the coming Sarawak elections will only lead to erosion and even deprivation of non-Muslim rights to satisfy the extremist policies of PAS.

“Why interfere in the sale of beer to non-Muslims when they are not sold to Muslims?” Lim asked.

While seeking further clarification from the finance minister and the Customs Department on the legality of these unfair regulations, Lim urged local governments especially in the PH-controlled states, not to implement such regulations that restrict and limit the existing rights of non-Muslims.

He said DAP will also instruct its lawyers to examine the regulations to challenge in court these restrictions on coffee shops and restaurants requiring them to havew licences to sell alcoholic beverages. – December 5, 2021.