The decision to ban the sale of alcoholic beverages at Malay-majority areas in Malacca wasn't made by the state executive council, MCA state executive councillor Lai Meng Chong said today.

Rather, it was a decision made based on common sense, he told Malaysiakini when contacted.

Lai ( left ) was referring to his colleague Ismail Othman's announcement that the retailers in Malay-majority areas under the jurisdiction of four local authorities would be banned from selling alcoholic beverages as reported by Sin Chew Daily today.

The four local authorities are the Historical Malacca City Council, the Jasin Municipal Council, the Alor Gajah Municipal Council and the Hang Tuah Jaya Municipal Council.

"I would not want to comment (further). This will be discussed at tomorrow's exco meeting.

"(The exco) hasn't approved it. The decision was arrived at out of personal wisdom," said the Machap state assemblyperson.

Malaysiakini was unable to get both Ismail and Malacca Chief Minister Idris Haron for comment.

However, last January, Idris instructed all local councils to conduct a detailed demographics survey.

This is to bar convenience store 7-Eleven from selling alcohol in areas with 90 percent Malay or Muslim residents, Utusan Malaysia reported him as saying on January 30.

"But if the areas is 90 percent non-Muslim, like Malim, then it is no problem for 7-Eleven to alcohol to non-Muslim buyers," he is quoted as saying.

The state is also encouraging 7-Eleven to hire more non-Muslim staff to handle alcohol sales, he said last January.

'They should resign'

In an immediate reaction, DAP vice-president Teresa Kok criticised the ban which she said set a dangerous precedent following the rise of political extremism in the country.

She demanded MCA president Liow Tiong Lai to explain why both Malacca MCA exco members, Lai and Lim Ban Hong supported the controversial move.

If they had objected and but their voices weren't heeded, then the MCA should order the duo to resign as exco members with immediate effect, she said.

This, she added, will show that the MCA was adamant in opposing such an extreme policy.

Kok ( right ) said Ismail's reason was quite unacceptable in that the move was necessary as alcohol beverages were easily accessible to Malay youths.

"This is a matter of control and enforcement for the state government. The state cannot moot such a ban just because it has failed in enforcement," said the Seputeh parliamentarian.