BUTTERWORTH – Permatang Pauh MP Muhammad Fawwaz Mohamad Jan has been criticised for purportedly “advising” Sunway Carnival Mall here against openly selling liquor, with two political rivals saying that the preacher overstepped his authority.
Penang Warisan chairman Jeff Ooi Chuan Aun told The Vibes that premises permitted to sell liquor are regulated by the Customs Department and local councils.
“It is not the role of an MP to lecture or interfere in such matters, no matter how good their intentions may be. Why wasn’t such a visit forthcoming six decades ago, as it is the prerogative of non-Muslims to consume liquor?”
He also urged retailers and wholesalers involved in liquor sales, procurement, and marketing to not be intimidated by moral policing by MPs.
Fawwaz, who is also Penang PAS Youth head, posted on his TikTok account visiting a mall here and saying that he told the mall management that the sale of liquor should not be promoted.
There was also decor by a beer brand set up in the mall in conjunction with Chinese New Year.
@ustazfawwazmdjanofficial Alhamdulillah, pihak Ahli Parlimen Permatang Pauh mendapat aduan ketidakselesaan pengunjung Muslim yang melihat Sunway Carnival Mall mempromosikan Arak Secara besar-besaran. Jadi kami mengambil pendekatan untuk meminta pihak Sunway untuk mengambil pendekatan lebih sensitif kepada umat Islam iaitu secara tertutup dan Alhamdulillah Pihak Sunway menyambut baik dan akan bertindak dalam masa seminggu ini. #ustazfawwazmatjan #ybustfawwaz #permatangpauh #permatangpauhdihati #permatangpauhtryyykalih #sunwaycarnivalmall #carlsberg #oktoberfest #arak #penang #acdc #xyzbca #seberangjaya #pru15 #parlimen15 ♬ Conquest of Paradise - Vangelis
Meanwhile, DAP’s Pengkalan Kota assemblyman Daniel Gooi Zi Sen said in a statement that Fawwaz lacked the “locus standi” to morally police a commercial entity.
He added that the manner in which Fawwaz had walked into the mall was intimidating and could be conceived as an attempt to disrupt public harmony here.
If the mall had met the requirements of the local council and liquor sales are just meant for non-Muslims, there is no place for Fawwaz to interfere, he said.
A mall spokesman told The Vibes that the mall would make minor adjustments to the promotional facade for Chinese New Year after the discussion they had with Fawwaz.
“We do not want this matter to be an issue. It is under control.”
It is unclear if it was the mall management who invited Fawwaz or it was his own initiative to bring up the matter.
Fawwaz caused a major upset in the general election last November when he defeated the incumbent Nurul Izzah Anwar in Permatang Pauh, which is considered a PKR stronghold.
The Seberang Prai City Council and Fawwaz could not be reached for comment. – The Vibes, January 10, 2023
