Snowdan calls for review of existing laws for deterrence against drink driving
KUCHING: Awareness and education should be the way forward to tackle drunk driving, said Datuk Snowdan Lawan.
The Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Youth chief said this when asked by reporters to respond to Malaysian Islamic Party’s (PAS) call to suspend production and sale of alcohol.
He also agreed with Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri James Jemut Masing’s statement that the call infringed on others’ rights.
“For this we can only agree to disagree. We have to explore the existing laws and regulations to make it a more effective deterrent.
“A ban is not an answer because a black market or a worse substitute like syabu could also exist.
“Perhaps we can impose a heavier penalty or lengthy jail sentences on the offender and insurance coverage to the victims,” he said in a statement today.
Snowdan further said the nation needed to continue with awareness campaign and educate the people on how destructive alcohol is to their health and others’ lives if accidents should happen.
“Thus far we have not exhausted our means on this. It should be an ongoing campaign as we do with drug addiction,” he said.
He also stressed that PAS must not regard the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition and ally Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) as a platform to garner support for its call to ban alcohol.
“Drunk driving and drunkards are our social problems and probably a threat to religious or spiritual values but not necessarily a political issue.
“If it does not encroach on your beliefs, your culture and religious tenets, you might as well leave it to the other persons to practice their rights and freedom and not infringe it.
“We do empathise with the victims, but the macro government economic viewpoints, the others social beliefs and rights that exist in this multiracial structure should also be considered instead of over a spiritual value alone,” he elaborated.
On Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sarawak president Larry Sng alleging that GPS was silent on PAS’ call over the same issue, Snowdan described Sng as ignorant and “had missed the boat”.
“He ought to reverse his gear, read what our ministers had rebutted earlier.
“What he should have done is to state PKR’s stance on behalf of his party statewide, not questioning what other parties had acted upon. It’s a busy body without reason,” he continued.
