KUALA LUMPUR: Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku has denied claims that his ministry has revoked licensing requirements for the sale of alcoholic beverages in restaurants and coffeshops.
He said as there was confusion on the subject, he has instructed the Customs Department to ensure the confusion does not persist.
Tengku Zafrul said that licensing was under the jurisdiction of the Licensing Board appointed under the delegation of powers of the Finance Minister to the Menteri Besar or Chief Minister through a government order in 1977.
"Allegations that the finance minister has cancelled the delegation of powers like what YB Damansara has pointed out is untrue," he told the Dewan Rakyat in response to Tony Pua (Damansara-PH) who grilled the minister on the subject, of which coffeeshop owners particularly have been up in arms with.
Tengku Zafrul also said that the government did not intend to cancel the order for the time being.
Earlier Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong claimed that the Finance Ministry has directed the Customs Department to cancel its directive to enforce liquor licence requirements for the retail sale of alcoholic beverages.
The Transport Minister, who was on an official visit in London, said he had spoken to Tengku Zafrul who was in Singapore at the time.
"He confirmed that the Finance Ministry had indeed cancelled the above directive and promised to instruct the Customs Department to abide by this decision," he said.
Dr Wee noted that he and Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Lim Ban Hong had immediately tackled this issue after Malaysia-Singapore Coffeeshop Proprietors Association president Wong Teu Hoon approached them about it.
He said that some restaurants and coffee shop owners in certain states were invited to attend briefings by the Customs Department in the middle of November and were instructed to apply for liquor licences, which caused an uproar.
"Three weeks ago, I spoke to Tengku Zafrul again on this matter. On Nov 23, the Finance Ministry issued an official letter to instruct the Customs Department to cancel the implementation of making liquor licences compulsory for selling alcoholic drinks.
He said this was because the Finance Ministry had in 1977 authorised the Menteris Besar and chief ministers to handle this matter through the Licensing Board under their respective local governments.
"The Customs Department is part of the Licensing Board of each state and has no power to instruct restaurants and coffeeshops to apply for liquor licences.
"Therefore, the Finance Ministry cancelled the circular issued on April 7 which requested business owners to apply for liquor licences from the Customs Department before Dec 31," he reportedly said.
It was previously reported that restaurants and coffee shops selling beer will be required to apply for a new licence from Jan 1 as part of a new federal government policy.
Annual licence fees between RM840 and RM1,320 would be charged to the businesses depending on operation hours.