Residents say: 'Proposed Bill not strict enough'
PUBLISHED ONJanuary 21, 2015 4:10 PMByChin Yong ChangHeather Humphries
SINGAPORE - Every morning, Mr Asdaq Wahid enjoys a walk along the Singapore River near Robertson Quay.
But if you ask the 49-year-old investment manager about his walks on weekends, you would think that he was trekking through a minefield.
He said: "Vomit lines the walkways and I would see clubbers sleeping or passed out, with beer bottles scattered on the pavements and the bridges."
And he has seen drunk clubbers dumping bottles into the river.
Which is why he welcomes the proposed Bill to control the consumption of alcohol, in particular the ban on drinking in public places from 10.30pm to 7am daily.
Mr Wahid even feels that the Bill does not go far enough - he would like to see a blanket ban on drinking in public places, like in some other countries.
STRONGER MESSAGE
"A blanket ban would send a stronger message to the public about consuming alcohol more responsibly," he said.
He thinks the proposed curfew could be circumvented as he had previously seen the police clear the area of people drinking in public. "They break for a week or two, then they come back once the patrols are gone," he added.
Asked if greater enforcement would help, Mr Wahid said: "The right regulation is better and more effective than the enforcement of a less effective regulation."
While welcoming the proposed curfew on public drinking, two other residents felt they may not be effective enough.
Ms Ayako Takahashi, 39, who lives in Mirage Tower on Kim Seng Road, said: "If they are focused on enjoying themselves, it is unlikely they would follow the curfew."
A Rivergate condominium resident who wanted to be known only as Michelle, 35, said: "They may just choose to start drinking earlier to get high before entering the club."
This article was first published on January 20, 2015.
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