BAGAN MP Lim Guan Eng today told Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong to stop deceiving the public on the liquor licence requirement for restaurants and coffee shops.

The DAP secretary-general noted that Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz has “unequivocally denied” the MCA chief’s claims in Parliament that the licensing requirements have been revoked.

Tengku Zafrul told Parliament yesterday that the federal government has not revoked orders allowing the state governments to decide whether to require retail outlets to be licensed to sell alcohol.

“Zafrul said the power to license or exempt retail premises like coffee shops and restaurants from selling beer or alcoholic drinks is up to the respective state licensing authority,” Lim said in a statement today.

In 1993, the customs department postponed the enforcement of such licensing, which has allowed coffee shops and restaurants to sell beer and alcoholic drinks without paying a licensing fees to the tune of RM1,300.

Lim said Tengku Zafrul’s statement of delegating licensing power to state authorities is consistent with the customs department’s letter dated August 16 stating that the postponement of the enforcement of licensing, which came into effect on September 20, 1993, has been withdrawn. 

“By withdrawing the postponement and leaving to the respective state licensing authority to decide, coffee shops and restaurants in states heavily influenced by the extremist PAS will be burdened with additional licensing costs of up to RM1,300,” he said. 

“Despite being proven as telling a falsehood by Tengku Zafrul, Wee still refused to admit that he deliberately misled the public when he showed a letter from the customs department dated December 9 cancelling its previous circular on August 16, 2021.”  

In the circular signed by customs assistant director-general Samson Sevanjanam, it was stated that the licensing requirement would no longer be postponed.

Samson said restaurants and cafes would be required to have the necessary liquor licences. 

“Wee is again trying to mislead the public because the latest customs department’s letter did not say that they were revoking the Finance Ministry’s new policy of delegating to the state licensing authority to decide whether to impose licensing for beer and alcohol sales on coffee shops and restaurants, but that the department will not proceed with enforcing the licensing,” he said. 

Lim said the customs department only said what was delivered during the briefing on August 16 was cancelled or revoked.

“Clearly, the new policy is not cancelled or revoked; only what was said during the briefing by the customs department is revoked,” he said. 

“In other words, the previous policy of postponing the enforcement of licensing for coffee shops and restaurants is not reinstated but will be replaced by the new policy of delegating the power to the respective state licensing authority to decide.”  

Lim was responding to Wee’s statement on December 7 that the directive has been cancelled. 

The former finance minister said Wee should be pressing Tengku Zafrul to reinstate the moratorium on enforcement of licensing, which has been in effect since 1993, instead of falsely announcing the directive requiring licensing is revoked and resolved. 

Lim said so far the Pakatan Harapan-led state governments have stated that they will not disrupt the current practice and that licensing for the sales of alcohol in restaurants and coffee shops will not be required. 

“If the previous policy of postponing enforcement of licensing is not reinstated, will Wee bear full responsibility for any additional costs and inconvenience faced by coffee shops and restaurants when some state governments impose the licensing requirement?” he asked.

It was previously reported that starting next year, the customs department would require coffee shops and restaurants to apply for a licence to sell alcohol. 

The ruling has been slammed for adding to the financial burden on coffee shop and restaurant operators who are already suffering from the economic effects of the Covid-19 epidemic. – December 10, 2021.