KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 ― Alcohol should be sold or served only on certain days of the week, much like how lottery numbers are not made available all week long, the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) said in its Budget 2016 wishlist.

Alternatively, the consumer group suggesting limiting the hours when alcohol can be legally sold or served.

“If punters can buy their four-digit or Toto numbers only on certain days of the week, why can we not fix the days where alcohol can only be legally sold or served,” CAP president SM Mohamed Idris said in CAP’s wishlist for the government budget sent to Malay Mail Online.

“The WHO states that Malaysia’s per capita alcohol consumption has risen from 0.8 litres of pure alcohol in the years 2003 to 2001 to 1.3 litres in the years 2008 to 2010,”  he said, referring to the World Health Organisation.

“Excessive alcohol [consumption] can have both immediate and long term effects,” he added, citing road accidents, homicides, assaults, as well as long-term health risks like high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

Regular 4D draws for numbers forecast operators Magnum, Damacai and Sports Toto are scheduled every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, while Special Draws fall on certain Tuesdays.

Idris also called for the legal drinking age to be raised to 21 years from 18 and for the availability of outlets selling alcoholic drinks to be reduced.

The CAP chief said both alcohol and tobacco taxes should also be increased, but did not specify by how much.

“The World Health Organisation recommends that the share in the final consumer price [of] cigarettes should be at least 70 per cent. Singapore’s tobacco tax is at 71 per cent but we have not reached that point,” said Idris.

British American Tobacco Malaysia increased last June the prices of its premium cigarettes by 30 sen to factor in the Goods and Services Tax (GST), with a pack of Dunhill now costing RM13.80.

Tobacco excise duty was hiked by 14 per cent in 2013.

CAP also urged Putrajaya to ban smoking at all food premises and public parks.

Budget 2016 is set to be tabled in Parliament this Friday.