Sarawak mulls liquor sales restrictions
Malaysiakini
Oct  4, 2006

Sarawak is considering wide restrictions on the sale of alcohol to curb excessive drinking among young people, state media said today.

Daud Abdul Rahman, an official from the office of Sarawak state's chief minister, said state agencies including Sarawak's attorney-general would meet next week to discuss sales restrictions, to begin in Muslim-majority areas.

"Initially we are looking at restricting liquor sales in the Muslim-majority areas and if there is support for it, the restriction will also be extended to the non-Muslim areas," Daud, who is responsible for Islamic affairs, was quoted as saying by the Bernama news agency.

In an indication the government was mulling state-wide curbs, Daud said there would be difficulties if laws restricting liquor sales only covered Muslim-majority areas in Sarawak.

"If it only involves Muslim-majority areas, then they can get liquor supply from the non-Muslim majority areas. So we are looking at this problem comprehensively," he said.

Unlike other states in Malaysia, Sarawak does not have a Muslim-majority population.

According to a census study in 2000, Muslims make up 31.3 percent of Sarawak's population, with Christians making up 42.6 percent and a variety of other religions including animism and Buddhism making up the rest.

The consumption of alcohol is forbidden in Islam.