ADUN SPEAKS | The new guidelines of the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) forbid sundry shops, convenience stores, grocery and Chinese medicine shops to sell alcohol to the public, with effect from Oct 1, 2021.

Under these measures, alcohol will not be sold in shops that are near schools, hospitals, places of worship and police stations.

Furthermore, shorter operating hours will be imposed on bars, restaurants and pubs serving alcohol to their customers.

Chinese medicine shops selling medications with alcohol content will need to get special permission from the Ministry of Health.

There is a growing fear that the imposition of these new guidelines would represent slow but sure curbs on the constitutional rights of non-Muslims.

A number of persons, including Amanah’s former deputy minister, have questioned this move as a curb on the rights of the non-Muslims.

Even the leaders of the country’s veterans association, Patriot, have taken DBLK to task force being insensitive to the constitutional rights of non-Muslims.

Some associations, like the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP), have welcomed the move by DBKL...