Arak di Selangor

PETALING JAYA (July 30, 2009) : ShahAlam City Council (MBSA) has been slammed for defying the Selangorstate government by confiscating beer worth RM620 at a 7-Eleven outletin Shah Alam on Wednesday.

MBSA officers confisticating the beer cans and bottles in a 7Eleven
outlet in Section 8, Shah Alam on Wednesday evening.

Stateexecutive councillor for local government, research and developmentRonnie Liu described the action as serious defiance of the stategovernment and said action will be taken against those who act withoutany directive from the state.

"No local council is bigger than the state government. Nobody shoulddo anything before the guidelines (to regulate the beer sales) areout," he told theSun today.

MBSA had seized some 70 cans and bottles of beer from a 7-11 outletat Section 8 in Shah Alam at 4.35pm on Wednesday, despite there beingno directive from the state government to do so.

A task force set up by the state was expected to come up with guidelines to regulate the sale of beer by the end of August.
Liu, who sent officers to investigate the matter after beingcontacted, said the MBSA officers claimed there were "unaware of thestatus quo" and admitted there had been a "big misunderstanding".

"The officers have returned the cans and bottles of beer which wereseized on Wednesday upon learning the sale is allowed," he said.
7-Eleven executive director Ng Su Onn when contacted said he was upset with the city council’s actions.

"The state government said there will a task force to come up withguidelines, incorporating views of all parties, for retailing beer inSelangor," he said.
"Ronnie Liu had made it clear that retailers are allowed to do what they are doing and no action can be taken by the councils,"
"The fact that MBSA acted on its own leaves us retailers confused," he said.