Gerakan condemns Selangor alcohol ban

PETALING JAYA: The Selangor government has been critcised for its indifferent attitude over the alcohol ban controversy in the state which is a serious dereliction of duty.
State Gerakan chairman David Ang Chin Tat said it did not take any action to solve the problem after the Petaling Jaya City Council's recent move to ban alcohol in Chinese medical halls had caused an uproar.
He urged state executive councilor Ean Yong Hian Wah, who is in charge of local state affairs, and the Selangor government to explain the matter.
"This crisis is already in its third week, yet Yong has disappeared after giving short explanations. Selangor state legilslative assembly speaker Hannah Yeoh and state exco Teng Chang Khim merely said they had ordered Yong and all liquor licensing boards to provide details in order to come out with a workable solution on the issue," he said in a statement.
He said until now the Chinese medical halls were clueless about whether or not they were allowed to sell liquor.
"This shows the state government is incapable of solving issues," he added.
He said Chinese medical halls have been operating on the business model of mixing hard liquor with herbs.
He added it was imperative the authorities understand this "as liquor has been an inseparable part of Chinese traditional medicines."