Govt Urged To Act Against Fake Liquor Sales After 33 Deaths

---

 


The Malaysian Anti-Cheap Liquor Movement has called on the government to urgently tackle the sales of fake liquor. 
This came after 33 deaths were recorded nationwide last month from ingesting fake liquor containing methanol.
The group said this is not the first time the country has seen a large number of deaths related to fake liquor after 60 deaths were recorded in 2018 for similar reasons.
“We met with the Health Ministry and the previous minister as well as his deputy in 2019 to recommend several measures and policies for liquor sales.
“However, no further action was taken and now we are seeing such deaths resurfacing,” its president David Marshel said in a statement today.
The group asked the ministry and its new minister Khairy Jamaluddin for another meeting so it can contribute ideas to curb fake liquor sales in the market.
“We hope this government will undertake comprehensive action so this issue can be tackled immediately without affecting the government’s income or the rights of non-muslims to consume alcohol.
“We are also disappointed over the Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) action to revoke the liquor selling conditions introduced in 2020 which can control the sale of fake and cheap liquor,” it added.
Saving lives
The group hopes the matter can be addressed so lives can be saved from alcohol poisoning and health implications resulting from excessive intake of liquor due to cheap prices and easy access can be prevented.
Last week, the media reported Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah revealing 33 deaths due to methanol poisoning which were recorded in less than a month between Sept 9 and Oct 1. 
Of this number, 18 of the deceased were Malaysians while the rest were foreigners, all of whom died after consuming fake liquor containing methanol bought from convenience stores.
It should be noted that the cases of alcohol poisoning here have nothing to do with the overconsumption of alcoholic drinks. Instead, it is due to methanol contamination of the drinks. - Mkini

---