A shop in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, recently hung a banner outside its premises announcing details of its liquor license application — including the applicant’s name, MyKad number, and business registration number — while inviting public objections within two weeks.
According to local practice, applicants in Negeri Sembilan can either publish the notice in newspapers or display it on-site.
MCA deputy president Dr. Mah Hang Soon said the system’s original intention was to ensure transparency, but without boundaries, “openness can turn into public exposure.”
He outlined five key concerns:
1. Transparency should not equal exposure.
Publishing in newspapers is already sufficient for public awareness, Mah said. Displaying personal details on the street crosses the line from transparency to privacy violation.
2. Licensing is an administrative process, not a public spectacle.
He warned that requiring applicants to display banners may cause misunderstanding or stigmatization, as though they have “special backgrounds” needing public approval.
3. Public right to know should not become public judgment.
Opposition rights are part of democracy, Mah said, but if handled poorly, such practices risk creating community tension and emotional responses instead of rational discussion.
4. Equal treatment under administration.
“It is unfair if liquor license applicants must display banners while other business licensees are exempt,” he said. Regulation should rely on enforcement and education, not public display.
5. Smart governance, not outdated formalism.
“In the digital era, people can access information online. Hanging banners is costly and outdated,” Mah said, calling for modernization in local governance.
He concluded, “Transparency should safeguard integrity and justice, not turn into unnecessary exposure or public noise.”
