KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 — Separate convenience stores should be set up to sell alcohol and tobacco in order to prevent Muslims from being in contact with those items, a Pakatan Harapan lawmaker suggested today.
Parti Amanah Negara's Dr Siti Mariah Mahmood said that many convenience stores around the country, especially the ones that are 24 hours, sold alcohol without needing liquor licenses and this burdened the Muslim workers who work in those stores.
"This has become a concern for Muslims when beer is sold openly everywhere. What about shubahah for Muslims working in places like 7-Eleven having to deal with all this, including tobacco," she said in the Dewan Rakyat during the Budget 2017 debate.
The Kota Raja MP added that such separate stores should also require customers to provide identification before purchase.
"I would like to suggest that in the long term, these items are separated and sold only at certain premises," Dr Siti Mariah said.
However, she dismissed a suggestion from Dr Izani Hussin (PAS-Pengkalan Chepa) for “sin taxes” on alcohol and tobacco products to be raised.
Dr Siti Mariah said it would be unnecessary and would burden non-Muslims who are not restricted from consuming either tobacco or alcohol.
“I see that taxes on cigarettes are on the rise. As for alcohol, it is allowed for non-Muslims, so if we raise, we will burden them,” she said.
The Amanah women's wing chief also suggested that Putrajaya use the “sin taxes” from alcohol and tobacco to pay off the national debt.
She said that by doing so, it would free up other forms of revenue to be used for more pertinent matters like increasing the pay of government servants.
