A sober decision<\/p>\n
The government's promise to review its decree on the sale and
\ndistribution of alcoholic beverages should calm the tension among
\nMoslem organizations. At least temporarily.<\/p>\n
These past few weeks have seen various protests in Jakarta and
\nother cities against the policy. The protests continued, in spite
\nof official assurances that the ruling was issued to control the
\nsale of alcohol, and should not be seen as condoning alcohol
\nconsumption. The government has acted wisely by announcing its
\npromise to review the decree. This was what came out of the
\nextraordinary meeting convened Wednesday by Coordinating Minister
\nfor Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman.<\/p>\n
Ignoring the protests would only have aggravated the
\nsituation, as the government learned a few years ago when it
\nhandled the controversial ruling on the state-sponsored lottery,
\nSDSB. The lottery, considered a form of gambling, was eventually
\nscrapped after a long tug-of-war with Moslem organizations.<\/p>\n
There are similarities between the lottery and alcoholic
\nbeverages. While both have alluring potentials to boost state
\ncoffers, Islam considers them haram (forbidden), and therefore,
\nany revenue that comes from them is considered sin money. Both
\nalso have potential negative impacts on society, particularly in
\nthe form of addiction.<\/p>\n
It would be unwise, however, for Indonesia to impose a
\nsweeping ban on alcoholic beverages in the manner it did away
\nwith the lottery, and this is probably where similarities between
\nthe two end.<\/p>\n
The government should take into consideration the fact that
\nthere is a sizable number of non-Moslem people in this country,
\nas well as a growing presence of expatriates, for whom drinking
\nis not only permitted. For some, it is also a social custom. An
\noutright ban could also dent Indonesia's tourism at a time when
\nthe country is building more and more hotels and other facilities
\nto cash in on the tourism boom.<\/p>\n
Any review of the policy must take these factors into
\nconsideration. It is encouraging to note the statement by
\nMinister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. that in reviewing the
\ndecree, the government will approach the issue differently. If
\npresently, the government tries to regulate the sale and
\ndistribution of alcoholic beverages, the new approach will be to
\nrestrict the sale of otherwise banned products. This may sound
\nlike semantics, but it could go a long way towards appeasing
\nMoslems, without depriving non-Moslems of their pastime.<\/p>\n
Indonesia could also learn a thing or two from neighboring
\nMalaysia, where the sale of alcoholic beverages to Malaysian
\nMoslems is forbidden, and any shop or restaurant caught selling
\nor serving them is liable to criminal prosecution. The onus is as
\nmuch, if not more, on those who sell as well as on those who buy.
\nThis should not be difficult to implement in Indonesia, where
\npeople are required to carry ID cards, which also state their
\nreligion, at all times.<\/p>\n
But whatever policy comes out of this review, there is the
\nquestion of enforcement. Unfortunately, this country is
\nnotoriously lacking or weak in law enforcement. A new policy on
\nthe sale of alcoholic beverages may be convincingly and even
\nimpossibly strict, but it doesn't mean a thing as long as
\nenforcement is feeble or even nonexistent.<\/p>\n
This, in fact, has been the chief concern among Moslem leaders
\nabout the present regulation: the lack or absence of enforcement,
\nalthough the existing rules already stipulate an age limit and
\nrestrict sales. The increasing incidence of drunkenness,
\nparticularly among young people, is very much behind the recent
\nprotests.<\/p>\n
Therefore, in the final analysis, it is not the policy that
\ncounts most, but its enforcement. On this score, the government
\nwill have to be more convincing than it has been in the past.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/a-sober-decision-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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