|
Malaysia: Islamic Officers Crack Down On Liquor Consumption
By Kazi Mahmood for IslamOnline
JAKARTA (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Breaking the headlines in Malaysia these days are constant raids by Islamic religious officers mandated to target pubs and nightclubs in search for Muslims consuming alcohol.
Muslims in Kuala Lumpur have complained that there are an increasing number of young Muslim men and women openly drinking alcohol in pubs around the city. Last week, two women, one the daughter of a former Malaysian state governor, were arrested, caught drinking in the act.
They were also wearing tight mini skirts and sleeveless blouses, dresses considered illegal in Islam, the officers said.
'They have been handed over to the religious department for further action,' Kuala Lumpur police chief Kamaruddin Ali said.
The widening crackdown on alcohol is not new in Kuala Lumpur. Its increase in the recent weeks is said to be due to the increase in illegal establishments selling alcohol in the city.
Kuala Lumpur’s Islamic religious department (Jawi) officers have engaged the help of police in raiding these pubs and nightspots to catch Muslims in the act of drinking. They are also after Muslims who deals in proximity with the opposite sex.
The police have no power to take action against Muslims who flout religious laws, but they assist religious department officers in making arrests.
Reports say that the Jawi has targeted the trendy suburb of Bangsar, a popular hangout for young professionals and expatriates. Bangsar is filled with alcohol serving pubs and discos, as well as open-air restaurants.
A Singapore newspaper reported today that a considerable number of Malays, including prominent political leaders, often patronize the many wine bars, pubs, dance clubs and restaurants in Bangsar.
These raids are a little unusual because the religious authorities rarely dare to conduct raids in Bangsar, which has a mixed population of Muslims, Indians and foreigners, as well as Chinese.
It is also popular for its nightlife, with the many food stalls selling local dishes. The pubs are situated only a hundred meters away from the Abu Bakar as-Siddique mosque.
The imam of the mosque is the most vehement critic of the sale of alcohol in pubs and nightclubs.
Police sources say prominent members of the mosque committee had pressured the authorities to act against the nightspots.
This is not the first time that the mosque committee has pressured the authorities on acting against the pubs.
In 1998, complaints from the mosque committee forced the authorities to scale down a New Year's Eve street party.
They also tried to stop last year's millennium celebrations because it coincided with the Muslim fasting month.
The Jawi officers say they were forced to take action against Bangsar pubs because of complaints from residents about “indecent and immoral activities” and about nightspots flouting the law by opening beyond permitted hours.
One week earlier, police also raided a disco in Bangsar for organizing a foam party, where partygoers danced amid a foamy substance.
However, religious department officers who accompanied the raid did not find Muslims consuming alcohol at the party.
The Muslims at the party were found to be consuming soft drinks. Most people there were also wearing T-shirts and jeans and not anything that could be deemed revealing or indecent by the religious authorities.
Local Islamic laws give religious department officers wide discretionary powers in determining what is revealing or indecent attire.
|
