I refer to the reports “Islandwide limits on public drinking proposed” (Jan 20) and “Singapore’s proposed liquor laws vs other countries” (Jan 19, online).
I see in the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Bill recognition of the perils of alcohol as highlighted by incidents such as the Little India riot, which blighted our society’s image.
Having said that, alcohol has been traditionally and widely seen in many cultures as part and parcel of entertainment, hence the shock waves felt by retailers selling alcohol and those who have a regular drink after work at late hours.
While it is laudable to follow in the footsteps of Australia and the United States, which have similar alcohol bans, we should also observe Japanese society, which does not have these bans.
Most intriguing about Japan is that despite the presence of heavy drinkers, they drink in a controlled manner, as they are grounded in the ideals of decorum and Giri, the tacitly imposed societal obligation to be civil.
For Singaporeans to imbibe with restraint, such that they are cognisant of their surroundings and do not endanger themselves and others — the purpose behind the Bill — there could be tacit reinforcement by educating people about alcohol consumption.
Ultimately, the desire to consume alcohol cannot be curbed solely by enforcement. As in Japanese society, we could inculcate in our citizens the need to be civil, which entails an inner desire to be self-aware.
While enforcement would, no doubt, deter individuals from consuming alcohol at the stipulated time, perhaps a more viable approach than depriving people of buying alcohol, and for vendors, selling it, is to recommend limits on the alcohol to be consumed.
It is commendable that measures are being geared towards ensuring the safety of citizens, taking recent incidents to heart, but whether citizens can imbibe a sense of self-control from these measures, when deriving leisure from alcohol, remains to be seen.
After all, self-control is derived from within.
Edwin Teong Ying Keat
*Letter first appeared on TODAY, Voices, (23 Jan)