KUCHING: Be a responsible drinker- consume legal beer instead of illicit beer. If you are a trader, sell genuine beer only.
This is the advice of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Deputy Minister Chong Chieng Jen to the public at a press conference after the launch of a state-level illicit alcohol drinks awareness campaign organised by his ministry and the Confederation of Malaysian Brewers Berhad (CMBB) at Imperial Hotel here.
Chong explained that there were two types of illicit beer —fake beer which was not produced by licensed breweries and uncustomed beer which was sold without paying custom duties.
“There are illegal breweries that produce beer and use the label of Heineken,” he said.
Chong added that illicit beer could cause death. For example, last year, 49 died because of alcoholic poisoning.
“The uncustomed or smuggled beer is causing a great loss to the government revenue.
“Therefore, for the awareness campaign, the Confederation of Malaysian Brewers Berhad (CMBB) has prepared proper information on how to differentiate between legal beer and illicit beers so that consumers and traders can tell the differences,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health Malaysia Food Safety Section senior assistant director Ruba Sundram said the ministry did not have any latest data on deaths due to alcoholic poisoning in Sarawak.
“We cannot consume more than 10 per cent of alcohol. No matter how long you brew it, it will only be at 10 per cent but right now, illicit beers have 12 per cent, 14 per cent and 16 per cent of alcohol and we do not know whether ethyl alcohol (an intoxicating ingredient of many alcoholic beverages) has been added to them,” he said.
Sundram added that natural beer was fermented from malt and that consuming ethyl alcohol could cause liver necrosis.
Customs Department (Enforcement) senior assistant director Austin James added that the people in Sarawak and Sarawak preferred illicit beer because it was cheaper.
“The mentality of the people is that illicit beer is cheaper because no tax has been paid,” he added.
Austin said that it was easy to smuggle beer in Sarawak and Sabah because of their geographical features.
He warned that those caught smuggling beer to avoid taxes under Section 135 of the Customs Act 1967 could be penalised up to ten times the amount of duty and RM100,000 and not more than five years’ jail for the first offence.
Those guilty of second offence will penalised up to twenty times the duty and RM200,000 and not more than 7 years’ jail.
Austin urged the public to contact Customs through hotline 1-800-888-855 or 082-333133 in Kuching if they come across any outlets selling illicit beer.
