Jeram state assemblyperson Mohd Shaid Rosli, fiercely criticised for his role in pressuring a supermarket to close its alcohol section, has softened his stance by saying he merely made a suggestion on behalf of his constituents.
“I did not force or push the (Jaya Grocer) management to close its alcohol section in its newly opened outlet in Puncak Alam.
“The memorandum I submitted on behalf of residents objecting to the sale of alcohol was a mere suggestion for the management to consider,” he told The Malaysian Insight.
Shaid was elected to the Selangor state assembly in 2018 as a Bersatu representative. He is currently an independent aligned to ex-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his party Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang).
“We did not push Jaya Grocer to close the (alcohol) section because they are licensed to sell alcohol.
“Residents have the right to ask for the sale of alcohol to be stopped, but the decision to stop or to continue is up to the management.
“The memorandum sent was based on the demand from the residents in Puncak Alam which is part of my constituency,” he added.
This contrasted sharply with the strident tone he initially used in addressing the issue when he posted “This is Puncak Alam. This is Malay territory” on Facebook and called for the outlet to “respect the sensitivities of the 90 percent Muslim population in Puncak Alam”.
The outlet in Eco Grandeur opened on Dec 2 and residents complained about the sale of alcohol in the supermarket. This resulted in an online petition, and Shaid visited the outlet and submitted the memorandum.
At the time, Shaid claimed he was acting on complaints, which included an increase in alcohol-related social crimes and strained family ties, from at least three resident associations.
“Based on cooperation that they (Jaya Grocer’s management) have given us, we can continue to support (their business) by shopping there,” he said.
Jaya Grocer then moved to close its non-halal section, but this was met with backlash from customers who questioned whether the management is discriminating against non-Muslim patrons.
Some members of the public took on the assemblyman by commenting directly on his Facebook page, criticising him for brewing up racial and religion issues.
A counter-petition was also created online five days ago, asking the supermarket to reopen its non-halal section, claiming that nearly 20% non-Muslim families are living near the vicinity.
The petition has so far garnered more than 14,000 signatures.
On the counter-petition, Shaid said it is not fair to take count of the signatures because it is not limited to residents in Puncak Alam but nationwide.
“The Puncak Alam residents made a petition to stop the sales of alcohol in the area, not outsiders.
“But I heard there is a new online petition, which is being participated by people outside Puncak Alam.
“As far as I know, the Chinese who are staying in Eco World, a new area here, comprise around 300 families while close to 30,000 here are Malay families. That’s the fact,” Shaid said.
He also said there was no malice intended over the post and that he respects everyone.
Shaid said the phrase, “Malay territory”, was akin to a telco operator’s advertisement and that he did not intend to hurt the feelings of others.
“What I meant to say was ‘this is Malay-majority territory’, just like how telco operator Celcom once advertised, ‘this is Celcom territory’…I meant something similar.
“But people misinterpreted my message and politicised it,” he said.
Shaid added that he did not mean to disrespect the Chinese and Indian residents in the area and urged people not to take it wrongly.
He thanked the Chinese and Indians and credited them for his win in the last elections.
“I won the election last time because of Chinese and Indians, too. Although Malays are the majority here, their support for political parties might differ and is split here, but I know the Chinese and Indians totally supported me to win the (last) election.
“So, I will never disrespect them,” he added.