In Malaysia’s diverse landscape, the Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) and its supporters often position themselves as guardians of morality, frequently decrying alcohol as a societal evil. Yet, in states under PAS influence—like Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, and Perlis—where alcohol is heavily restricted or semi-banned for Muslims, far graver issues plague communities: skyrocketing drug addiction rates and persistent sexual crimes, including rape, sodomy, and underage cases often involving consensual acts between minors.
Why the fixation on alcohol when drugs and sexual offenses demand urgent attention?
Why fixate on alcohol when drugs, rape, sodomy, underage consensual cases, and porn addiction demand urgent action? This selective outrage distracts from real crises, exposes PAS’s hypocrisy, and ignores evidence that states with liberal alcohol policies, like Selangor and Johor, fare better in managing these vices.
This selective outrage not only distracts from real crises but also highlights a hypocrisy that undermines PAS’s credibility. Meanwhile, states with more liberal alcohol policies, like Selangor and Johor, don’t face these problems at the same intensity, raising questions about PAS’s governance priorities.
This focus stems from political posturing. Alcohol is an easy target to rally supporters, but it distracts from systemic failures in PAS’s backyard—poverty, poor education, and weak enforcement—that drive drugs and abuse. Other states prove balanced policies, including regulated alcohol, coexist with lower vice rates.
Hypocrisy Exposed: Profiting from ‘Haram’ Alcohol Taxes
Malaysia collects an estimated RM2-3 billion annually from alcohol excise duties, part of “sin taxes” that fund national programs.. If alcohol is “haram” and a moral threat, as PAS claims, why do they not demand the separation of these funds? Their silence suggests they’re content to benefit from “tainted” money while condemning its use elsewhere. This contradiction is stark:
- No Call to Segregate Sin Taxes: PAS has not proposed isolating alcohol revenue from national budgets to avoid mingling with Muslim or Bumiputera funds, despite their vocal stance against alcohol’s immorality.
- Failure to Redirect Funds: They’ve never suggested allocating sin tax revenue exclusively to non-Bumiputera projects, like SJKC and SJKT schools or cultural programs, which would align with their religious objections and ensure fairness.
- Profiting from ‘Haram’ Money: By allowing alcohol taxes to fund Muslim-centric programs, PAS implicitly endorses the very vice they decry, undermining their moral authority.
If PAS is serious about alcohol being “an impurity from the work of Satan,” they must advocate for separating these funds or redirecting them to non-Bumiputera communities. Anything less exposes their selective outrage as political theater.
Alcohol Restrictions in PAS States: A Semi-Ban That Misses the Mark
PAS-controlled states have long enforced strict alcohol policies, primarily targeting Muslims but sometimes extending to non-Muslims. In Kelantan and Terengganu, alcohol sales and consumption are banned for Muslims, with recent reports of broader restrictions, such as prohibiting hotels from serving alcohol even at non-Muslim events.
Kedah and Perlis follow similar conservative lines, creating environments where alcohol is scarce. PAS leaders argue this upholds Islamic values and protects society from “haram” influences.
But does this focus yield results? Supporters rally against alcohol at events like school reunions or tourism packages, labeling it a moral threat. Yet, data reveals a stark contrast: These same states lead the nation in drug addiction, suggesting that banning one vice doesn’t eradicate others—and may even divert resources from more pressing threats.
Alcohol Restrictions: A Misguided Crusade
PAS states enforce strict alcohol bans for Muslims, with measures like prohibiting hotels from serving alcohol even to non-Muslims at private events.
PAS argues this upholds Islamic values, citing Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:90. Yet, their supporters’ uproar over incidents like the St. Michael’s 90th reunion in Ipoh—a private, non-Muslim event—shows a pattern of moral policing that ignores bigger problems at home.
While alcohol is scapegoated, the following issues in PAS states paint a dire picture.
The Drug Crisis: PAS States Lead in Addiction Rates
Despite alcohol curbs, PAS-governed states consistently report the highest drug abuse rates in Malaysia.
PAS-governed states top Malaysia’s drug addiction charts.
According to the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK), Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu had the top addiction rates per 100,000 population in 2023, a trend continuing into 2024 and 2025.
Kelantan alone recorded 1,130 cases per 100,000 residents in 2024, far outpacing national averages.
Nationally, drug users surged 32.5% to 192,857 in 2024, with northern states bordering Thailand—many under PAS—showing the worst spikes.
Drugs like methamphetamine and heroin devastate families, fuel crime, and strain healthcare. In contrast, states like Selangor, a “hotspot” for drug cases in absolute numbers due to population, have lower per capita rates despite open alcohol availability.
Obsessing over alcohol seems like a distraction when drugs are Malaysia’s “No. 1 enemy,”
Methamphetamine and heroin wreak havoc, fueling crime and straining communities. Meanwhile, states like Selangor, with open alcohol policies, show lower per capita drug rates despite higher absolute cases due to population size.
Why isn’t PAS rallying for rehab centers or border patrols instead of policing private dinners?
Sexual Crimes: A Silent Epidemic in Conservative Strongholds
The hypocrisy extends to sexual offenses. While PAS rails against alcohol’s supposed moral decay, their states grapple with high incidences of rape, sodomy, and sexual abuse—issues that directly harm vulnerable populations, especially minors.
Sexual offenses, including rape, sodomy, and underage cases, plague PAS states, undermining their moral high ground. PDRM and Women’s Aid Organisation data show a 10% rise in rape cases nationally from 2021 to 2022, with Kelantan and Terengganu reporting high per capita rates of child sexual abuse.
Recent data from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) show rape cases rising nationally, with a 10% increase from 2021 to 2022.
Although absolute numbers are higher in populous states like Johor (194 cases) and Selangor, per capita rates and specific trends in PAS areas reveal concerns.
Kelantan and Terengganu have seen spikes in sexual crimes against children, with many cases involving underage victims.
Alarmingly, a significant portion of underage sexual cases in Malaysia are “consensual” statutory rapes—acts between minors or close-in-age partners that are illegal under strict laws but not predatory.
Estimates suggest over 90% of such cases involve mutual consent, yet they clog courts and stigmatize youth without addressing root causes like poor sex education or poverty.
In conservative PAS states, where discussions on sexuality are taboo, these issues fester. Sodomy cases, often underreported, add to the crisis, with no evidence that alcohol bans mitigate them.
Compare this to states like Penang or Kuala Lumpur, where alcohol is accessible: Sexual crime rates per capita are lower, thanks to better education, reporting mechanisms, and progressive policies.
If alcohol were the root of moral decay, why don’t these states mirror PAS areas’ problems?
PAS’s conservative culture stifles open dialogue, letting these issues fester. In contrast, states like Penang, with alcohol access, have lower per capita sexual crime rates, thanks to better education and reporting.
Pornography: A Hidden Crisis in PAS Heartlands
Shockingly, PAS states contribute significantly to Malaysia’s high pornography consumption, ranked among the world’s highest by PornHub’s global traffic data. In 2023, Malaysia was in the top 10 for per capita porn site visits, with Kelantan and Terengganu showing disproportionate traffic from rural areas.
This contradicts PAS’s image as a moral bastion. Porn addiction fuels unhealthy attitudes toward sex, potentially linked to the sexual crimes plaguing these states, yet PAS remains silent. Why target alcohol at a Catholic school’s reunion when online vices run rampant under their watch?
Why Alcohol? A Distraction from Real Priorities
PAS’s laser focus on alcohol—seen in recent controversies like the St. Michael’s reunion or sin tax debates—serves as a moral rallying cry but ignores evidence. Alcohol restrictions don’t correlate with reduced crime; drugs and sexual offenses thrive in their absence. This selective policing alienates non-Muslims and diverts from solutions like comprehensive drug rehab, sex education reforms, and community support.
In PAS states, poverty, unemployment, and limited opportunities exacerbate drugs and abuse. Supporters should advocate for these fixes, not scapegoat alcohol. Other states prove that balanced policies—allowing alcohol for adults while regulating it—coexist with lower vice rates.
Time for PAS to Refocus: Tackle Drugs and Abuse Head-On
PAS supporters must stop fault-finding with alcohol and confront the crises at home. Demand better anti-drug funding, modernize sex education to prevent underage issues, and promote holistic governance. Malaysia’s multicultural society thrives on fairness, not hypocrisy. Until PAS shifts priorities, their moral posturing rings hollow.
