Is there any guarantee there won't be a “total ban” on alcohol in this country one day should PAS become part of the federal government?
Last week, the Islamist party actually came within a whisker of pressuring the current government to totally ban alcohol from Chinese school compounds; this may have prompted some anxious ones to ask: if they had succeeded, what would have been next…?
Nevertheless, many would have heaved a huge sigh of relief after PM Anwar's administration had pivoted from its earlier stand and allowed alcohol to be served in “private functions” in vernacular school halls in line with existing education ministry guidelines.
However, instead of putting the controversy to bed once and for all, the decision had in turn ignited a fresh round of outrage among certain dissatisfied quarters; in fact, vocal UMNO Youth chief Akmal Saleh had even asked sarcastically: ‘Is alcohol good for people now,…?’
Actually, the issue of alcoholic beverages being served in private functions especially in vernacular schools should not have arisen in the first place; furthermore, though PAS may have cleverly framed it as a religious-cum-national issue, critics had suspected that the underlying agenda all along was politics!
What has PAS and UMNO Youth got to do with what is served in vernacular school compounds? Are they funding those schools?
As for the non-Muslims in this country regardless of whether they are drinkers or teetotalers, it must be stressed that they aren't just blindly defending “alcohol”; actually, many see it as an outright attempt by religious hardliners and politicians in the country to infringe on their constitutional rights!
Moreover, there are fears that, should PAS and UMNO Youth succeed in getting alcohol banned in vernacular school compounds, won't they be emboldened to pick on other non-Muslim rights by simply citing violation of Islamic principles?
One day, could “Yam Seng” also be banned in this country, as it may be associated it with the “unholy” act of toasting with alcoholic beverages?
To the uninitiated, in Chinese wedding banquets and other celebrations regardless of whether they are held in a school hall, restaurant or hotel, the climax is usually when all are invited to rise to their feet, raise their glasses and yell out the word “Yam Seng” loudly, while stretching the word “Yam” for as long as they can; it's the quirky local version of the “toast”, and though some may hold their glasses aloft filled with soft drinks, others often do so with alcoholic beverages.
But do the “holy” blokes in PAS and UMNO Youth even know what “Yam Seng” stands for?
Furthermore, it should be clear by now that following the recent shocking incidents of stabbings and rape cases in several schools, PAS seemed to have cunningly manipulated the sombre mood in the country by harping on the issue of alcohol - in schools!
In fact, for the Islamist party it would have been a “heaven-sent” opportunity to ride on a topic that is almost guaranteed to rile up and rally the Malay-Muslim community in the country; moreover, it would have been fully aware too that its call for a blanket ban on alcohol in schools is bound to spark discord and divisions within the multiracial Madani government.
In that context, by supporting the ban on alcohol in schools, didn't the naive Akmal and his UMNO Youth fall into the snare set by the shrewd Islamist party?
Perhaps, UMNO Youth may have thought that they could eclipse PAS to become the undisputed heroes of bangsa dan agama (race and religion) by taking a hardline stance on the matter; however, in reality, wouldn't its actions make it even more unpopular among non-Muslim voters?
Interestingly, there is a popular saying that “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing”; perhaps, this is what PAS, UMNO Youth and others may be culpable of as they seem to have a poor grasp of the varied cultural practices of non-Muslims in this country!
Drinking alcohol may be haram in Islam but it's not so in many other cultures and religions here - especially when taken in moderation!
Ironically too, in the eyes of many, PAS and UMNO Youth's “fixation” with the alcohol issue may have exposed major flaws in their own focus: for example, shouldn't they be raising real issues plaguing the nation such as corruption, misuse of public funds - especially by politicians, drug abuse, the mat rempit menace, baby dumping, incest, rape cases and many other ills that have a direct impact on society?
Instead of harping on “drink driving” and the harm it poses, shouldn't they also speak up on the issue of “drug abuse" among mat rempits whose antics have resulted in higher fatalities?
In truth, this whole episode on alcohol seemed to have left more than just a bitter taste in the mouths of many non-Muslims in this country irrespective of whether they are drinkers or not!
In conclusion, it must be reiterated that the issue of alcohol being served in vernacular school compounds does not concern PAS and UMNO Youth at all; thus, the big question here is: by manipulating it, are they trying to prove their “religious superiority?" Or perhaps, they are trying to churn out more excuses to abolish vernacular schools?
Main information source: FMT, Malaysiakini and Goodstuff.my
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