It was no questions that drinking in the public is definitely not flouting the law, unless you are being a nuisance to the public which enforcers will come into pictures. However, it paints a different picture in Singapore.
A new law has passed on 1st April 2015 under the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act which drinking alcohol is banned in all public places from 10.30pm to 7am. Retail shops are also not allowed to sell takeaway alcohol from 10.30pm to 7am as well.
Related: Drive drinking in Singapore will cost you your driving licence
What is the reason behind the ban ?
| Foreign workers seen hurling objects at emergency vehicles which they have overturned earlier. Image: TNP. |
Although there are already looming concerns over teenagers buying booze and seating in public areas, drinking and chatting away, there wasn’t a strict enforcement until the riot that broke out in Little India on 8th December 2013 – 44 years after the major communal riots in 1969.
The riot was sparked by a fatal accident when a Indian foreign worker, Sakthivel Kumarvelu, was run over by a private bus and was instantly killed. It angered the crowd (mostly foreign workers) which gathered more than 300 of them. Though the police, ambulance, Singapore Civil Defence Force have arrived at scene, they are being attacked by the mob, damaging 23 emergency vehicles, which 5 were torched. There was also 8 civilians that were injured in the riot as well.
The government took action immediately to mitigate the issues by setting up a Committee of Inquiry (COI) which Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called upon to examined the testimonies of more than 300 witness.
In order to minimise public disorder, a banned was being imposed on the consumption and sales of alcohol in public places.
Related: Corrective Work Order and Fines for littering in Public in Singapore
Geylang and Little India designated as “Liquor Control Zones”
In 1st April 2015, the Parliament has passed a revised law, zoning Geylang and Little India as Liquor Control Zones, which both areas are flooded with foreign workers during the weekend.
The law banned these two places from public drinking from 7am on Saturday to 7am on Monday every week. It also applies from 7pm of the eve of a public holiday to 7am of the day after public holiday.
Shops in Geylang and Little India are also prohibited to sell takeaway alcohol from 7pm on weekends, eve of public holidays, and public holidays.
What are the penalty for flouting the ban ?
| Image: The Straits Time |
In addition, a stricter penalty was imposed in Liquor Control Zone which offenders could be fine up to 1.5 times of the penalty above if caught breaking the law.