Tension Rises Among Muslims And Non Muslims Over Sarawak S Alcohol Zoning Plan At Popular Food Court

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A battle over dining spaces In the heart of Kuching has become an unlikely flashpoint for Sarawak’s cherished religious harmony.

The controversy centres on Topspot, a beloved food court in UTC Kuching, where generations of Sarawakians—Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and others—have broken bread together without incident.
Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) has withdrawn its contentious plan to segregate drinkers from non-drinkers at the popular food court.
The dramatic U-turn comes after intense public backlash on social media, forcing the state-owned corporation to shelve what many viewed as a divisive policy.
The plan, which originated from a Sarawak Islamic Department proposal in November 2023, had aimed to create distinct “Alcohol-Free” and “General Dining” zones.
Despite claiming initial agreement from tenants in December 2024, SEDC’s attempt to reshape the beloved food court’s dining culture has hit a wall of public resistance.
The corporation’s retreat statement, wrapped in corporate speak about “further engagements” and “transparent communication,” signals a significant setback in what appears to have been a poorly conceived social engineering experiment.

This Is Not The Sarawak Way “This is not the Sarawak way,” became the rallying cry across social media platforms, where citizens reminded officials that their state had successfully maintained its unique social fabric through decades of shared meals and mutual respect.
The sentiment reflects a deeper anxiety: that the creeping religiosity of peninsular Malaysia might finally be crossing the water.
In a state where “eating together, praying separately” has long been an unwritten social contract, the proposed barriers struck many as a solution in search of a problem.

As one social media commentator noted, with devastating simplicity, Muslims uncomfortable with alcohol-serving establishments have always had the choice to dine elsewhere.
For now, Topspot’s patrons can continue dining without boundaries, though this incident raises questions about future attempts to introduce similar segregation policies in Sarawak’s public spaces.






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