Ronnie Liu vs. Hassan 'I want to join UMNO' Ali

Should Ronnie Liu be asked to resigned because he followed the Law?

That's an interesting question, but the more important question is the power of a government to dictate what a retailer can and cannot sell, how much regulation do we need from the government? What are the economical, social and political issues surrounding this issue?

I'll cover that...but first to Ronnie.

Is there a provision in the Law for MBSA enforcement officers to confiscate beer from a premise? If there isn't any provision, isn't it unlawful for them to confiscate them.

Should Ronnie be penalised for returning beer that was confiscated unlawfully?

Apparently Hassan Ali from PAS thinks that laws can be enacted on a whim and fancy. If the State Exco is unaware of such laws and provisions, how can a regular shop owner be expected to know the law. Isn't it morally wrong to confiscate someones livelihood.

The question isn't about whether Shah Alam Muslims are offended, it's a simple matter of the Law. If you can't legally remove beer from the shop, you have no right to take 70 beer cans away from the shopowner, that is denying him his livelihood.

The MBSA is not in the business of enforcement religious laws, nor confiscating 'perfectly legal' merchandise, and Ronnie Liu was right in returning the beer to the shop.

Hassan Ali cannot ask for someones resignation because he acted in accordance with the law. If he really wants to regulate beer sales in Shah Alam, he needs to enact a law for it first.

It's that simple.

Economics

The shopowners would not be selling alcohol if people were not buying them. 30% of Shah Alam is still more than enough people to sustain beer sales.

If Shah Alam has 200,000 people, 30% of that is 40,000 people. It doesn't take a genius to know you can easily sell 70 cans of beer to 40 thousand people.

So there are people who are buying beer, and the law provides that they should be allowed to buy beer. Nobody elected the MBSA moral guardians to prevent that from happening.

The economics suggest that there is also a sizeable minority that would like to have beer served in their area, the law states they are allowed to do so. I don't see the problem.

It's that simple.

Social

Firstly, I agree that 7-11 shouldn't be serving beer. The last thing you want is a 24 hour supply of beer.

That being said, the reason why non-Muslims are uncomfortable with this is because this has turned from a social issue (that everyone can come aboard on) to a religious issue.

Rather than pointing that it isn't right for any minor to drink alcohol , Hassan Ali has mentioned that Ronnie Liu had "meddled in Islamic affairs".

First of all it's not an Islamic affair, if it was then JAIS and the religious authorities would be involved not MBSA.

Secondly, mentioning Islamic affairs, when you confiscate merchandise from a retailer makes people feel uneasy. Religion should not dictate what I can and cannot sell in my premise.

The same way UMNO turns everything into a 'challenge on the Malays', is the same way PAS turns everything into a 'challenge on Islam'. Bloody pathetic.

I believe, strongly that retailers should be FAR more responsible in the sale of liquor. I also believe there should be a stronger regulation on the sale of cigarettes, which for all accounts is a bigger problem the alcohol.

So if parents are worried of underage drinking, aren't they also worried about underage smoking? If so, how come no one confiscated cigarettes?

The only way to explain the disconnect is that Islam prohibits alcohol but not smoking. There in lies the problem, when you mentioned Islamic affairs, and start forcing your religious beliefs on everyone else, the natural tendency is for people to react and defend their right to consume alcohol. It is tantamount to telling me I can't consume alcohol because your religion doesn't allow it. That's wrong.

Hassan Ali was wrong to lable this as an Islamic affair, he would have far more support, had he just mentioned it was a social ill. Christians, Buddhist, Hindus and Sikhs could all get aboard an initiative to stop serving alcohol to minors, and to better regulate the sale alcoholic beverages. Mentioning Islamic Affairs prevents a multi-religious approach to solving this and stops short of totalitarian goverment policies.

That's just bad marketing from PAS, and stupid of Hassan Ali, which by the way is looking to bury his political career by talking to UMNO. Let's also take a look at the political landscape on why there is this public bickering by 2 Selangor state assemblymen.

Political

It seems it's open season on poor old Ronnie these days.

First of all, the only reason people believe that Ronnie is related to the underworld is because of Wee Choo Keong , Azmin Ali and an anonymous blog claim he is.

Nobody has substantiated this claim, no one has made the connection. Has anyone seen Ronnie discussing prostitute dens , illegal vcds and extortion? Do we know where Ronnie Lius Territory is? Does it ride in a 'souped up Hummer' with shiny rims and pack a magnum 45 in that flannel shirt he wears. The guy looks my grandfather and people are making him out to be Al Capone of Klang. It's an insult to Klang.... and my grandfather.

Typical stereotypes, this old looking Chinese man from Pandamaran has to be a Gangster. How else could he be a state assemblyman? You could put a monkey next to Zakarias daughter, and the monkey would have won the 2008 elections. Ronnie is no more a Gangster than I am.

If the claims have no proof, they have no merit. Why people believe this is beyond me.

No one has proven that Ronnie is a gangster, and until that connection is proven, we HAVE TO assume he's just a regular Joe.

Hassan Ali on the other hand, is not a regular Joe. He did try to negotiate a 'UNITY' Government with UMNO. A government Nik Aziz is fully opposed to.

He is the traitor, he is meddling in my affairs. I voted for PAS and expect PAS to hold up it's bargain and stay in Pakatan Rakyat. Tell this two-timing whore of politician to resign before he holds any more talks with UMNO.

For those of you who don't know : "Khir had apparently hinted he was willing to become deputy menteri besar if Selangor PAS commissioner Hassan Ali was made menteri besar" . This guys was in cahoots with Khir Toyo to have a unity government in Selangor. Where is the respect for the majority of Selangor who voted PAS as a member of PR rather than BN? This conversation was done barely days after the 2008 elections.

So since I'm a voter in Selangor, I would actually ask for Hassan Ali to resign instead of Ronnie. Let's have my MP, Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud be the Islamic Affairs Exco instead. It'll be good to have more women in state excos holding proper positions, and it'll be good to have a Muslim women in government...not many of those around these days.

To be honest, beer should be regulated better. Underage drinking is not a problem, but beer shouldn't be sold at 24 hour shops, I'm uncomfortable with that.

That being said, Petrol Stations shouldn't sell cigarettes either, neither should shops near schools. How we much regulation do we need, that's discussed in the next paragraph.

Where do we draw the line?

Should the government have so much power it can dictate what you can and cannot sell?

Should it dictate that Malay weddings refrain from serving beef, and Chinese Shops close during Ramadhan? That convenience shops only serve meat certified by Khairys Halal Development Corporation?

Should it infringe on your can of Coke, or Maggie mee (19% fat) on the pretext of health? Should the government regulate your health by preventing retailers from selling you unhealthy products?

To me the answer is 'HELL NO'. What's your. How much control should the government have over convenience retailing. We know they should regulate hard-liquor and cigarettes, but where do we draw the line? Which side of the line do you stand on?

That is the question of this whole debacle, and it's an important question, far more important that the personal bickering of 2 politicians.

That's my 2 cents. Don't spend it all in one place.