Abdul Karim urges control of locally brewed alcohol sales, clampdown on moonshiners
SIBU: The government has been urged to curb illegal distilling of alcohol and control the sale of locally brewed liquors as many youths are addicted to the cheap brew.
Assistant Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah pointed out while the sale of alcoholic beverages will be restricted to people above 21 years old from the current 18, starting Dec 1, 2017, sale of illegal liquors is outside the law and young drinkers prefer cheap brews and alcohol from local distilleries because they more affordable .
“This is the bigger menace faced by our society as many youngsters are now hooked not to the “branded” alcoholic drinks but to cheap locally brewed alcoholic drinks.
“The government has to come down hard on these breweries whether they are licensed or not,” Abdul Karim, who is also Assistant Housing Minister told The Borneo Post yesterday.
He asserted only by keeping watch over moonshiners and controlling sales of local liquor would the problem of alcoholism among youth be mitigated
The Asajaya assemblyman was commenting on Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam’s statement that come Dec 1, 2017, the sale of alcoholic beverages would be restricted to people above 21 years of age.
Abdul Karim said it was heartening to hear that the federal government is regulating and restricting the sale of alcoholic drinks to only those 21 years and above instead of 18 yrs as it is now.
