Yet Another Spill And Officialdom Must Take The Blame

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For a good 24 hours, Malaysia’s competence, abilities and proficiencies – or rather the lack of them – was on show not only to its citizens but globally.
It started on Thursday evening as a side-show to the ongoing movement control order (MCO) but reached a crescendo by mid-morning the following day and tapered off towards the evening.
It had all the elements for a grand display of our systems and the rules and regulations, but instead, it showed the sheer might of authority and consequences when power was misused or abused.
Nobody knows who gave the order but groups of police officers went to supermarkets, convenience stores and other retail outlets on Thursday ordering operators to stop the sale of beer and liquor.
That same night, social media was full of photographs of police officers on these premises and luminous tapes across sections where beer and liquor were displayed.
No answers were forthcoming. And for a while, it was assumed that it was high-handedness of the police on display and there were glimpses of it.
The next morning, The Malay Mail quoted Brickfields police chief ACP Annuar Omar as saying that stores solely selling liquor may not operate in the “total lockdown” as alcoholic drinks were not an essential item under the prescribed standard operating procedures.
Commenting on viral posts claiming that the police had ordered a food and drinks outlet in Kuala Lumpur to close despite it possessing an authorisation letter from the International Trade and Industry Ministry, he said this was not the case.
“The result of an inspection at the store showed that it purely sold hard liquor, which is not considered an essential item. The police then took action by advising and directing that the premises be shut. Consequently, the premise owner obeyed and took action as directed.”
Was it an afterthought and a futile attempt to do damage control?
Yes, because police officers had sealed sections of supermarkets, hypermarkets and convenience stores not only in Kuala Lumpur but in almost all states.
The crux of the matter is that someone in authority did not understand or chose not to understand the National Security Council’s (NSC) list of businesses that had to be closed.
Under the list of “Senarai Aktiviti yang tidak dibenarkan (Negative List)” on the NSC website, it simply states: “Operasi kilang dan kedai minuman keras”. Simply interpreted, the list of activities that are not allowed include liquor factories and liquor shops.
But only liquor shops and not shops selling liquor. Period. So, who took it upon himself or herself to include all and sundry?
Officialdom came to the rescue the following day, but not without another episode in what was then an ongoing saga. Netizens began asking if cosmetics and cigarettes were essential items.
The answer came swift and fast and with a touch of disbelief on the part of the public. Maybe some saw the lighter side of the gaff but it further added fuel to an already confused public.
Deputy Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Rosol Wahid waded in as the primary actor declaring that the sale of cigarettes can still continue despite it not being listed as an essential item.
Claiming that it is “essential to cigarette addicts”, The Vibes quoted him as saying that the sale of alcoholic drinks at any premises is prohibited as it is categorised as a non-essential item by the NSC.
But the clincher followed and the full effects of the clanger of sorts were on display.
“Although they are non-essential under (the SOPs from the) NSC, they are still ‘essential’ to cigarette addicts. We can’t stop its sale, otherwise, there will be problems. Only smokers will understand. Without cigarettes, it will be a huge burden for them,” he said.
Just like the police, Rasol too neither understood nor read the NSC list. “We are just following the standard operating procedures (SOPs) provided by the NSC. The government has given the order, so we have to abide by it,” he was quoted as saying.
But as the backlash grew and more brickbats came along, Rasol changed his tune, issuing a statement that the restriction was limited to liquor manufacturers and liquor stores.
“Business premises or companies and services that are categorised as essential such as food and beverage are allowed to operate under the list of the essential services. These premises include supermarkets, mini markets and convenience stores.
“Some of these premises also have a licence and special section to sell alcoholic beverages. Therefore, there is no prohibition on premises that are considered essential and have an approved licence to sell alcoholic beverages to operate. (They can) sell goods that are in their premises including alcoholic beverages, on condition they follow the set rules,” he said.
Can it be dismissed as a storm in a teacup or a storm in a beer tankard? This will not be the last. At the rate the administration and policymakers are goofing and blundering on simple issues like the interpretation of an order, expect more.
As I said in a column last week – the system has broken down; the wheels have come off and are missing.
Has the time come for a new set of wheels? - Mkini

R NADESWARAN asks if it is competence, ignorance or stupidity which is leading all the problems we face. Comments: [email protected]

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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