“I see that taxes on cigarettes are on the rise. As for alcohol, it is allowed for non-Muslims, so if we raise (the taxes) we will burden them,” Siti Mariah Mahmood (Amanah-Kota Raja) said.
“I wish to suggest in the long term, alcoholic drinks and tobacco products be separated and sold only at certain premises,” she said while debating Budget 2017.
Dr Siti Mariah said this would make it be easier for enforcement to be carried out if the outlets selling alcoholic drinks could be in non-Muslim-majority areas.
Earlier, in her speech, she asked the government to clarify the amount received from “sin tax”, which included tax and excise duties from alcohol, tobacco and gambling.
She said money from sin tax could be used to pay off the national debt, while keeping national funds meant for emoluments of civil servants shariah compliant.