On February 24, IKIM organized a Roundtable Conference on “Liquor and Its Prevention: The Experiences of Related Agencies” that was attended by senior representatives of different agencies concerned with the consumption of liquor and its implications.
It was a sequel to a discussion of experts on the subject deliberated by leaders of various religions at the end of 2009.
On both occasions, IKIM contributed substantially and acted as the coordinator, trying to make all interested parties-in controlling the culture of liquor consumption and its consequences among all Malaysians, regardless of faiths and cultures-to sit together to discuss ways and means to curb the increasingly menacing phenomenon.
The triggering point that drove IKIM to undertake such an endevour was the alarming increase in the drinking habit among the youths, especially Muslims. The rapid spread of this liquor drinking and its addiction is greatly boosted by an extremely easy availability of various intoxicating beverages in our 24-hour stores and groceries.
Besides IKIM, other agencies who took part in this Conference included the Health Ministry, the Education Ministry, the Malaysian Royal Police, the Malaysian Royal Custom, the Attorney-General Chambers, the Selayang Municipal Council, the Department of Islamic Development of Malaysia (JAKIM), the Federal Territory Department of Islam (JAWI), State Religious Councils (Selangor and Kelantan), State Mufti Offices (Sabah and Johor), academics from tertiary institutions, NGOs (Muslim Lawyers Association, PGSM; Muslim Youth of Malaysia, ABIM) and other interested policy makers.
This follow-up programme focused on a comprehensive preventive approach related to the liquor consumption from the perspectives of the agencies involved and the roles to be played by the respective bodies and organizations.
The Conference’s objectives, inter alia, were to identify all preventive measures that had been implemented by related agencies in the past, present and future; to identify effective recommendations to strengthen the current preventive mechanisms; and to assist the Government to formulate policies having to do with mental health and solutions to the liquor issue.
Though giving priority to curbing the consumption of liquor within the Muslim community, the Conference reiterated the position agreed upon by all religious leaders in the first expert discussion that liquor is a universal problem threatening all religions, races and cultures.
Thus the very first point emphasized at the beginning of the Conference was the fact that liquor is indeed prohibited, or at least discouraged and disgraced, by all religions.
In lieu of the above, it’s perplexing for certain quarters to claim that the prohibition of liquor is exclusive for Muslims only. They seem to hold that their or other religions do not really forbid liquor. Due to this, the non-Muslims perceive religious enforcement by Muslim authorities as actions that affect their rights to do business.
And astonishingly there are Muslims who subscribe to the idea that barring liquor for Muslims is against the principle of human rights, and therefore, can be ignored!
One possible explanation, perhaps the best, for such confusion-or rather ignorance-among Muslims and non-Muslims is because more people are becoming secular, discarding religion from their worldly life except in some personal matters only. The truth is that all religions are against liquor. That’s why secularism is a common enemy to all religions.
Liquor, like in the case of cigarettes, does more harm than good to man. The religious position aforementioned has been corroborated by numerous scientific studies establishing again and again the fatalistic effects of the two ‘evil’ commodities.
Despite that, it’s amazing to learn from the Conference that only 45% of the world populations do not take liquor. And surprisingly-maybe not-Malaysians were among the world heaviest drinkers! From the civil law point of view, liquor consumption is not an offence in Malaysia. Meaning to say, even in our country, liquor is indeed a highly profitable commodity for one to venture into the business.
No wonder that in 2010 there are 89 liquor factories Malaysia. And up to December that year, we have 355 liquor importers, out of which 131 are based in Federal Territories and 70 in Selangor.
Liquor, like car and cigarettes, is being imposed with high taxes by the Government. The annual tax increment by the authorities is perhaps for the purpose of reducing the number of drinkers or addicts among them, as this inevitably causes prices to rise accordingly.
This however, again like in the case of cigarettes, does not seem to deter people from consuming the so-called prestigious drink on a daily basis!
It is believed that the Government is reaping more than RM one billion every year from liquor-related businesses and taxes. But many are questioning the wisdom behind this seemingly huge profit as we spent more than RM two billion a year to treat diseases or handle problems originating from liquor.
Nevertheless, it is quite soothing to know that there are efforts at international and national levels to control the harmful effects of liquor. On the global stage, for example, the World Health Assembly in May 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland, had reached an agreement to launch the “Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol”. A global network has been formed in February 2011 to implement those strategies.
At the national level, it is pleasing to hear that one of the Government ministries is initiating a national action plan to prevent and reduce the harmful use of alcohol, called the “Pelan Tindakan Kebangsaan Pencegahan dan Pengurangan Kemudaratan Alkohol 2011-2015”
With the Plan’s ‘Population-based’ and ‘High Risk Group’ approaches, for instance, it is hoped that we can improve general awareness among people about the inherent danger of liquors and gradually minimize all liquor-based or related problems.
One of the recommendations put forth in the Conference was to gather all provisions relating to liquor under just one Act of Parliament enforceable throughout the nation. Currently legal provisions on the consumption of liquor, its sales, taxes and other related issues are available but scattered in various statutes. This single proposed Act shall describe liquor in all its forms as a material equally destructive as drugs.
It must be mentioned, too, that efforts by IKIM are moving in the same direction. At the end of the Conference the organizer found out that more agencies must be included in the concerted efforts to fight against liquor. Educational programmes with religious, health, legal and economic inputs maybe held at various states. This undoubtedly compliments initiatives by other agencies, governmental or otherwise.
All followers of all religions must deem liquor as a substance prohibited by GOD(s). Even atheists are advised to despise it on moral and ethical grounds. All must stay away from it for the good of all mankind.