Penang island’s local council appears to have gone overboard in issuing a circular mandating that outlets in the popular Chulia Street area in Georgetown stop selling alcohol for three days in respect of tomorrow's Thaipusam festival, said RSN Rayer.

The Penang Hindu Endowment Board chairperson told Malaysiakini that it had merely requested for convenience stores and coffee shops selling liquor along the Jalan Waterfall and Jalan Gottlieb areas to be prevented from selling alcohol for a day.

"When we had our meetings on this...