KUALA LUMPUR – Pandan PAS has expressed outrage over the placement of alcoholic beverages for sale at a grocery store in Dataran Pandan Prima, Ampang.
In a December 15 Facebook post, it said beer and wine were being sold on the open floor instead of in a separate room, as is usually the case.
“Perhaps, this happened because of renovations in the store, or for Christmas. But, it is not an excuse for them to place the beverages there.”
The party said only signage stating “non-halal” was placed near the drinks, with none saying it is haram for Muslims to buy them.
“The majority of customers at the store are Muslims, and they (the store management) should take into account their sensitivities.”
Comments on the post, though few, were generally supportive of PAS’ concerns. There were 16 comments and 312 “reactions”, of which 136 were the “laughing” emoji, at the time of writing.
One commenter asked whether it is legal to obstruct the grocery store’s operations.
“Do you have the legal right to obstruct a grocery store from doing its business if it has the licence to sell alcoholic drinks only to non-Muslims? (If not,) sue them for business obstruction.”
Another urged PAS to stop deceiving constituents.
“Enough of deceiving the Malays.”
Early this month, Jeram assemblyman Mohd Shaid Rosli of Pejuang sent a memorandum to a Jaya Grocer outlet in Puncak Alam, citing concerns about its alcohol section.
On December 4, the store boarded up and closed the said section.
Shaid has denied that he forced Jaya Grocer to do so, saying his memorandum was merely a suggestion. – The Vibes, December 25, 2020
