Take it up in Dewan, PAS man told over beer sales

BUTTERWORTH: An MP who complained about the sale of beer at a mall here should have raised the matter in Parliament, and not have stormed into a mall to confront the executives there, says a state Gerakan leader.

He questioned the approach of a PAS leader in making demands at the Seberang Jaya mall over a Chinese New Year beer promotion at its premises.

The party’s deputy president, Oh Tong Keong, said it is not Permatang Pauh MP Muhammad Fawwaz Muhammad Jan’s job to “protest” at the mall.

Instead, he said the PAS leader should have taken the matter to the Dewan Rakyat.

Muhammad Fawwaz had demanded that the promoters conceal the sale of beer at the central atrium to respect the sensitivity of Muslims.

“As an MP, he has the right to comment. He should take the issue to Parliament.

“If there was a violation of law, he should leave it to enforcement officers to deal with the situation,” said Oh, who is also Penang Perikatan Nasional deputy chairman.

Both PAS and Gerakan are part of Perikatan, along with Bersatu.

He said the beer promotion was held once a year, and the mall would know who should and should not buy alcohol.

“It is not a problem for a mall to sell alcohol on its premises.

“Usually the stock would finish in a week or two and it is good for the economy,” he said.

On Monday, Muhammad Fawwaz, the Penang PAS Youth chief, had confronted the mall management, saying there had been complaints from Muslims that beer was sold openly in the mall.

A 52-second video, which he posted on his TikTok account, of his visit to the mall has since gone viral.

Even the Consumers’ Association Penang (CAP), a strong opponent to the sale of cigarettes and alcohol, said it was unfair of the PAS man to turn the beer promotion into an issue.

Its president Mohideen Abdul Kader said no one should take the law into their own hands.

He said Muhammad Fawwaz should not have made a scene and taken videos.

“We have always opposed the sale of both alcohol and cigarettes and do not encourage indirect advertisement.

“We do not condone noticeable campaigns and would prefer if these are just sold at designated locations and kept on shelves.

“However, we cannot force them to take it down or remove them from display.

“If anyone has issues with such advertising, they should take it to the authorities or voice out their concerns to the establishment privately,” he said.