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In case you missed it:
This is a tweet of a facebook post that has been making the rounds on Twitter, and it’s picked up a lot of traction as you can see from those numbers in blue.
Of course, what I find way more interesting is the point made by the tweeter, and I quote: “Melayu Islam. Bila arak menggelupur. Rokok yang terang haram buat tak tahu pula.”
For those who didn’t get that pass mark in SPM Bahasa Malaysia, the gist of it is: “Malay Muslim, alcohol is haram. What about cigarettes? You don’t know those are also haram?”
It’s strange that in a country that likes to scream about its multiculturalism, brags about its diversity and inclusiveness, and bangs the drums of “One Malaysia” at every opportunity, we’re now reduced to picking on things like this.
Certain individuals in Malaysia, believe that it is their right to act as “defenders” or “protectors” for their religion and/or culture. For the 4th quarter of 2021, the topic of the moment is Timah and everything alcohol-related.
I’m not a lawyer, but…
First of all, I must say that I’m not a lawyer and have no legal training. In fact, most of my legal knowledge comes from CSI, Law and Order SVU, (when I was younger) other TV shows like Ally McBeal and The Practice.
But this was very easy to look up online. It took 30 seconds of Googling Magic to find the 1997 Syariah Criminal Offences (Federal Territories) Act. And in Section 19. Intoxicating drinks, it states: –
In my interpretation of the legislation, the cashier was NOT breaking the law
Let’s get one thing clear: it is actually NOT ILLEGAL for the cashier to be doing her job. Her job as a cashier is to process purchases that people make. She is not engaged in the act of “…makes, sells, offers or exhibits for sale, keeps or buys” alcoholic products.
In the same tweet, the store manager stated that policies regarding the sale of alcohol are made by “…pihak atasan. Keputusan adalah di tangan mereka.” So they have no say or influence as to what products are sold. They just do their job, clock out, and go home. Like the rest of us.
And yet the harassment continues…
Harassment is a crime, right?
Islam does tell us that if a Muslim brother or sister has strayed from the path of Islam, we should guide them to the true path. But Islam does not tell us that we can scold, shout, or otherwise terrorise the erring Muslim.
We should, at first, advise gently, then admonish before we proceed to yell at or otherwise threaten the erring member of our faith. There is no justification, in Islam, to terrorise the other.
Further, before we start to correct a fellow Muslim, we must be sure that we have the right to correct them because our objection to whatever the brother or sister is doing is actually prohibited by the religion.
For instance, in the matter of the clerk selling alcohol in a store, we must be sure that this is prohibited by the religion. Section 19 does not make it an offence for a Muslim to sell alcohol in the course of his/her employment. The clerk makes the sale on behalf of the employer, be that a natural person or a company.
So, before attempting to save the soul of another, make sure that you really have the religious right to do so.
“Rokok yang terang haram buat tak tahu pula.”
I have to come back to the tweeter’s original point about those cigarettes that were on display, because Malaysia National Fatwa Council issued a fatwa against smoking in 1996: smoking was declared haram because of its detrimental health effects. In 2015, the Council issued a follow-up fatwa that declared electronic cigarettes haram for the same reason.
This is typical of the overzealous guardian/defender that picks a single topic and tunnel visions in on it so hard that they are blind to everything else. That’s precisely what’s happened here. The broader perspective is being completely ignored.
That broader perspective:
I call it as I see it: Malaysia becomes a short-term laughing stock precisely because of this kind of utterly ridiculous and pointless nonsense that makes its way onto social media. And whatever is on social media is there forever.
Does anyone here recall the whole issue around Timah? Let’s not forget the its predecessors: the infamous A&W Rootbeer debacle, and of course the tragic case of Auntie Anne’s Pretzel Dog.
Take this to a more serious, yet slightly absurd extreme: what about alcohol-based sanitizers, disinfectants for cleaning and sanitization during a PANDEMIC? How long before stores stop selling alcohol entirely? How long before restaurants and bars stop serving alcohol?
I’ll go in the other direction right now: what happens when stores, restaurants, and bars STOP HIRING Malays because of this exact issue? How long before tourism as an industry is in more trouble?
I’ll go two steps further: what happens when all the Mat Sallehs here on retirement programs decide to retire elsewhere or just go elsewhere? What happens when those Malaysians who can and like to drink decide to leave?
Malaysia used to be a proper country, now… some think root beer contains alcohol, and pretzel dogs contain dog meat. I dunno where we are as a nation, or where we are heading as a nation, but… it’s nowhere good.
Maybe we should all stop doing the whole “buat tak tahu” routine.
For more stories like this, read: Malaysia Has An Ongoing Brain Drain Problem: This Is Everything You Need To Know About It, I’m Muslim And I Drink Alcohol, But I Still Go For Friday Prayers, and I Was Denied Entry to a Mosque Because I Am Not Malaysian.
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