Bangsar restaurateurs seeking clearer picture over alcohol sales

KUALA LUMPUR: The Restaurant and Bistro Owners Association is seeking clarification if outlets are allowed to serve alcohol to customers during the movement control order.

This comes after claims that several police officers on Friday (Feb 19) ordered bar and restaurants in Bangsar here to stop serving alcohol, failing which they would face a hefty fine.

Many operators claimed that police officers, who visited dozens of the outlets on Jalan Telawi around 4pm on Friday, told operators to stop serving alcohol on their premises.

Association legal advisor Datuk David Gurupatham said he hoped the Kuala Lumpur mayor and the Federal Territories Minister would make their position clear.

"The burden is on enforcement authorities to show which provision of law they are relying on, '' he told StarMetro via WhatsApp.

The association's media liaison Jeremy Lim also said several members had called him over the matter.

"The mayor and Federal Territories Minister must clarify their position," he said, adding that the Federal Government had allowed restaurants to operate within the set SOP.

He added that a similar situation occurred in May last year after restaurants were allowed to reopen for dining in.

Lim said that there were no restrictions on restaurants serving alcohol with meals.

"The restriction is for pubs and clubs not to serve food, not the other way around, '' he said.

National Security Council (NSC) guidelines say only nightclubs, pubs and bars are not allowed to operate but outlets that serve food and beverages, including alcohol, are allowed to open.

Owner of Ronnie Q's restaurant and bar, Ronald Quay said his manager told him that the police had told him to stop selling alcohol or they would be issued with a fine.

He said when they asked for further explanation, they told them to get information from the NSC.

"We were told to stop serving alcohol or face a fine, '' said the manager of The Origin and Shuruti Box Siva Shankar, adding that the police officers were from the Pantai police station.

KL mayor Datuk Seri Mahadi Che Ngah said he was not aware of the reasons behind the police enforcement in Bangsar on Friday.

“I will check on it to find out what’s going on, ” he said.

Last year, FT Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa clarified that restaurants with liquor licences are allowed to serve alcoholic beverages to dine-in customers.

Annuar said that businesses with restaurant licences are allowed to operate as long as they abide by the rules set out by the NSC.

KL police chief Comm Datuk Saiful Azly Kamaruddin said that only restaurants are allowed to sell alcohol throughout this period.

"Premises with restaurant and bar licenses cannot open bar counters and must keep them closed. Only the restaurant is allowed to open.

"We are following the instructions from the NSC," he said on Saturday (Feb 20) adding that live bands and DJ performances were still not allowed.