Alcohol in Malaysia refers to the consumption,industry andlaws of alcohol in the Southeast Asian country of Malaysia. Although Malaysia is aMuslim-majority country, the country permits the selling of alcohol to non-Muslims. There are no nationwide alcohol bans being enforced in the country, with the exception ofKelantan andTerengganu which is only forMuslims.[1] TheIslamic party respects the rights of non-Muslims and non-Muslim establishments like Chinese restaurants and grocery shops are excluded from such bans.[2] The federal territory ofKuala Lumpur has the highest alcohol consumption in the country, followed by the states ofSarawak in second place andSabah in third place, according to a 2012 survey.[3]
Based on a report released byInternational Organisation of Good Templars in 2016, Malaysia has the third highest tax on alcohol worldwide at 15%, behind Norway and Singapore which are predicted to keep increasing.[4] The country has an annual spending ofRM2 billion on alcoholic drinks.[4] Prior to theTrans-Pacific Partnership, Malaysia together with Vietnam plans to drop import tariffs on beer, whisky, and other alcoholic drinks.[5]
The tradition of brewing alcoholic drinks in Malaysia is most prominent in the island ofBorneo. Indigenous islanders traditionally drank home-maderice wine calledtuak andtapai in their communal gatherings and harvest festivals ofGawai Dayak andKaamatan.[6] Alcohol consumption in theMalay Peninsula has been less common since the introduction ofIslam.[7] However, the production and consumption of alcohol (arak) has been a tradition since the time ofHang Tuah in the 15th century.[8] In the 20th century,palm toddy was popular among the local Indian and Chinese communities. The Chinese also madesamsu rice wine. The British brought their own traditional brewed alcoholic drinks, such as beer andstout. In the 1930, the first brewery was established in neighbouringBritish Singapore.[6]
Since theBritish colonial times,Tiger Beer was the first commercial beer brewed in 1932 byMalayan Breweries Limited, a Singapore-based brewery which was formed from a merger betweenHeineken andFraser and Neave (F&N).[9] The beginning of alcohol productions in Malaysia start in 1968, when two leading breweries,Guinness and Malayan, merged to form a new company known asGuinness Anchor Berhad. In 1970,Carlsberg established its first brewery outside Kuala Lumpur[6] inShah Alam.[10] Both are since the only legal commercial breweries in Malaysia, which account for 95% of the total beer and stout volume in the country market. In 2007, another two breweries known as Napex andJaz brewed beer for pubs in the country, but both have since ceased from operation.[9] Beside local productions, many alcoholic drinks in the country are also imported from neighbouring countries such as Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam.
Tuak (Dayak), also known aslihing (Kadazan-Dusun) ortapai (Malay), is arice wine made from fermented rice and yeast, with an alcohol content between 5% and 20%.[11] It is common in Borneo and particularly important for theDayak people.[11]
Arak putih,Malay for "white liquor", is a generic term for locally produced distilled liquor (arrack).[12] While sometimes mistranslated aswhite wine, the drink is typically much stronger than wine (up to 60%) and is not made from grapes.
Thelegal drinking age (purchasing) for Malaysia is 21 years old and above.[13][14][15] Since 2020, the legal limit forblood alcohol level while driving in Malaysia is 50 mg per 100 ml forblood test; 22 μg per 100 ml forbreath test; and 67 mg per 100 ml forurine test.[16][17][18]
Public drinking orpublic intoxication is not a crime in Malaysia, unless the drunken person caused "annoyance" towards others or exhibit "disorderly behaviour", which may be punished with a RM20 to RM25 fine or a 10 to 14 days jail under thePenal Code or Minor Offences Act 1955.[19][20] However, these law are rarely enforced.[19]
Any vendors, restaurants and retailers need a licence to serve or sell tap/draft beers, liquor and spirits in the country. Bottled and canned beers are exempted from such licence requirements, which is why it is common to find many vendors and coffee houses serving alcohol in their premises without a licence.[21] Malaysia also imposes nationwide regulations for vendors to place their alcoholic drinks into separate refrigerators or storage places, although this was opposed by certain vendors in the state ofPenang.[22] The high tax on alcohol has increased the price of alcoholic drinks in Malaysia, harming some drinkers who turn to unsafe alcohol smuggled in from neighbouring countries.[23] In 2018, around 45 people died in thecountry's worst methanol poisoning involving foreign workers and several Malaysians due to the consumption of cheap fake liquors acquired from the country'sblack markets.[24][25]
Following Demerit Points System for Traffic Offences (KEJARA), a police officer or JPJ officer can take breath, blood or urine samples of drunk driver. If alcohol content is found in the samples, a fine of RM 2000 or 6 months' imprisonment may be imposed for the first offence.[citation needed]
Alcohol is generally prohibited for Muslim consumers in the country as Malaysia'ssharia law forbids Muslims from drinking alcohol. Alcohol is mostly banned forMuslims in the states ofKelantan andTerengganu.
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