No More Hard Liquor at Kuala Lumpur’s Groceries & Convenience Stores Starting October 2021

By Karissa Lund  •  18 Nov 2020 in News

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According to The Star, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has just released brand new guidelines for liquor license applications. It states that grocery shops/sundry shops, convenience stores and Chinese medicine shops are not allowed to sell any hard liquor, starting October 2021.

These mentioned premises with an existing liquor license can only renew their license until 30 September 2021. Besides that, business premises that sell liquor also cannot be in front of police stations, places of worship, schools and hospitals.

However, pure or mixed liquor products in traditional medicine will be exempt from this ruling and beer will still be allowed to be sold at these premises from 7am to 9pm and the beers must be placed separately from other beverages.

According to DBKL’s new guidelines on the criteria for liquor licence applications,

“Premises and activities that allow liquor sale include restaurants, pubs, bars, hotels, commercial complexes, warehouses, supermarkets, hypermarkets as well as promotional activities that serve liquor. Pubs, bars, lounges and restaurants can sell liquor from 10 am until midnight while an additional application to extend the sale of liquor until 2 am can be made based on the allowed entertainment hours of the premises or the approved time limit for premises at entertainment zones.

“Meanwhile, the sale of liquor for wholesalers and sundry shops are limited to 7 am to 9 pm while beer houses are allowed to sell liquor from 10 am to midnight.”

Premises that allow diners to drink at the premises will have to display a blue liquor licence while those that only allow liquor for take-away will display a yellow licence.