Better to boycott than to ban, says Khalid

(The Star) KUALA SELANGOR: Local communities have the power to bring about change and this can be more effective than imposing a ban on the sale of alcohol in Muslim-majority areas.

Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said convenience stores that were not sensitive to the feelings of the local community might face a boycott.

“It is about how we live together in a society and respect each other’s cultures and religions.

“It is pointless to produce more laws if many don’t bother to comply with them,” he told reporters after presenting donations to 25 orphans here yesterday.

Khalid said self-regulation was an option because most communities were made up of people from various backgrounds.

As such, Selangor would not stop convenience stores from selling alcohol but they must abide by existing rules including not selling alcohol to non-Muslims aged 18 and below.

On Selangor DAP’s call that Pakatan Rakyat set up a disciplinary committee to punish Selangor PAS state commissioner Datuk Dr Hasan Ali, Khalid said what was at issue was “the sale of alcohol in Shah Alam”.

In another development, Khalid said there was nothing wrong with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commis-sion going to the state secretariat building in the course of its work.

He was asked to comment on the commission seizing files from the office of Batu Tiga assemblyman Rodziah Ismail on Friday in its investigations into the alleged abuse of funds by assemblymen or their agents.

Khalid also announced that the state has set aside two hectares of land in Jalan Semarak here to build a home for orphans.

The RM2.5mil project is expected to be completed in two years.