The Star Online

THE Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has seized an assortment of duty-free liquor and beer worth over RM100,000 and arrested 11 Thais from a luxury yacht anchored in Penang waters.

MMEA district enforcement head Commander Robert Teh Geok Chuan said over 180 bottles of liquor including various types of whisky and vodka as well as 15 cartons of beer were found in the store of the Panama-registered yacht Lady Orient.

He said a team, led by senior officer Mohamad Rosli Mat Salleh searched the yacht, which was anchored about half a nautical mile away from Weld Quay, and found the liquor at about 1pm on Wednesday.

Teh said initial investigations showed the duty-free items were bought from Langkawi.

“The crew and captain claimed the liquor was for their own consumption but we believe the large amount of liquor was smuggled in and meant to be sold in the local market,” he told a press conference yesterday.

The suspects, aged between 20s and 60, and the confiscated items were detained for further investigation.

Teh said the case was being investigated under the Customs Act 1967 which carried a maximum compound of up to 10 times of the items’ purchase value.

He added this was the third and largest seizure this year after the first and second cases in February and June where a total compound of about RM80,000 was collected.

Teh said the enforcement team would continue to monitor the state’s waters to prevent any untoward activities, especially during festive seasons and also in view of the price differences for certain items in neighbouring countries.

“We hope the public could cooperate and report to us when they notice any suspicious activities involving vessels in the waters of Penang,” he added.

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(The Star Online) ALOR SETAR: Smugglers are apparently trying to cash in on the demand for liquor for the coming festive season by bringing in the alcoholic drinks from duty-free Langkawi through various means.

This included hiding 8,448 bottles of liquor of various brands in a 12m-long container carrying me tal beds from the island resort.

The contrabrand liquor, worth about RM547,400 with unpaid duties totalling RM826,389, was seized by Customs officers and the Kedah Anti-Smuggling Unit at about 4pm on Monday at the Kuala Kedah jetty near here.

Kedah Customs director Saadon Mohd Dros said the liquor was found hidden behind stacks of boxes containing metal beds in the container which had just arrived from Langkawi.

“The container was declared as carrying metal beds but we decided to make a thorough inspection by bringing it back to our enforcement office in Alor Setar,” he told a press conference here yesterday.

He said the department had questioned a 37-year-old man, who acted as the middleman to bring out the liquor from La ng kawi.

In Penang, a luxury yacht which sailed from Langkawi was found with 253 bottles and cans of liquor and beer with unpaid du ties totaling more than RM40,000 when it was stopped by a Ma laysian Maritime En forcement Agency boat near the Penang Bridge at about 10.15pm on Mon day.

MMEA Maritime 2 (Penang) district enforcement head Com mander Robert Teh Geok Chuan said the yacht’s three crew members were arrested and their sta tements recorded before they were released on police bail.

“We have seized the yacht for investigations and are tracing the owner,” Commander Teh told a press conference in Ge orge Town yesterday.

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I have been complaining that beer is very expensive in Malaysia. Recently I read from Kennysia.com that Tiger price in London is more expensive then in Asia after the exchange rate. Can that mean that Tiger is a premium beer in London?

I have been clutter with the idea that expensive is good or premium (a typical chinese thinking). Will the beer culture change in Malaysia if the beer are cheap, will people drink more beer if a can of beer is the same price as coke. I’m not too sure about that, but I bet it will be the same, maybe the volume intake will be higher, that it. Cause majority will still think of health, taste and status.

Health
Alcohol is not good for your liver and health, although they have some benefit to our body, overall the bad is more then good. So is not so positive for the health conscience society of urban living. The lifestyle of going to gym and health eating is the new trend, so even if the beer price is the same as coke, is still be the same. Worst fear for beer is beer belly, as women will avoid and man trying to maintain their pacs.

Taste
By reducing the price don’t really improve the taste of beer. This will only create more brand to come in as the tax is low, and increase more choices to consumer. But to create bigger beer drinking culture, that would be a bit impossible. Currently taste is the biggest factor why drinker don’t like beer. With more choice of beer like ale, pilsner, stout, weissbier, white beer and etc, maybe will give a variety or more open mind for consumer to find their taste of beer. Of course is a love and hate things

Status
Beer is consider a poor man liquor for me. As rich will drink whisky or rum, wine and champagne. Is the this bring beer down to a humble status. For Malaysia alcohol consumption, only 20% went to beer, 40% to whisky, as whisky is more high status drink and won’t cost beer belly. More expensive mean more premium. Most of Malaysia don’t really know what they drink, they just consume for the sake of showing and socialising. Sticking with brand is always what asian will do.

So the big question is, will beer sell more if it is the price of coke? Yes, but is still be the same people who drinking it. Maybe will capture a few new curious market. Unless a better knowledge of the drink will bring in a better beer culture in Malaysia. That what beerbeer is trying to create, a beer culture. So for now, the only cheap place to drink beer is Langkawi. Cheers and enjoy!

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