Rumours Of Alcohol Sold In Brunei Not True
By Debbie Too

Bandar Seri Begawan - Despite strong speculations that certain supermarkets have landed licenses to sell beer legally in the non-halal section of the supermarkets, the Bandar Seri Begawan Municipal Department, the Royal Customs and Excise Department and Soon Lee Department store have finally squashed it.

For the past few months, talk among the public has circulated saying that there will be a tax on alcohol being brought in from the borders at Kuala Lurah, and that two supermarkets, namely the Soon Lee department store and the Hua Ho department store, have landed the license to legally sell beer. While many were wondering how this would happen, a representative, from the Municipal Department said, "This is the first time I've heard of this, no, I don't think that this is true".

The Miscellaneous Act of 1983 supplements the Bandar Seri Begawan Municipal Boards Act of 1920 pertaining to the licensing, regulating and the controlling of certain commercial places and activities and their purposes to the selling of alcohol in the country.

A spokesperson from the Royal Customs and Excise Department said, "Legalise beer in supermarkets? No, this is not true; we have not heard any such thing and these are just unfounded rumours."

Among one of the supermarkets that are rumoured to legalise the selling of beer in their non-halal department was the Soon Lee Department Store.

One of its managers, who wished to remain anonymous, said that they have not received word on any development of the selling of alcohol "so it must be just a rumour."

In 1991, as part of a move towards full Islamic law, the sale of alcohol was banned and the quota for non-Muslims was two bottles of liquor and 12 cans of beer, for private consumption, per person above the age of 18 years.

Many turned to the border of Kuala Lurah to purchase their alcohol, and many have also turned it into a business of selling it illegally in Brunei.

The authorities have conducted raids for this and one such raid that took place recently was at the Sheraton Utama Hotel in the capital, where a number of customs officials, immigration officers and members from the Royal Brunei Police Force enforced it during New Year.

One of the aspects of the raid was to check whether hotel patrons were consuming alcohol and whether their quota form was brought along with them, to which the police had issued public warnings about.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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