Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Malaysia’s Defense Minister said in a news conference that the decision was taken after the Muslim-majority country’s government was criticised for allowing the factories to operate despite the lockdown.
“Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp groups and many more were questioning why the Heineken and Carlsberg factories were still allowed to be open,” Ismail said.
The youth wing of Bersatu, the party of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, and the Parti Islam Se Malaysia (PAS), which is part of the governing coalition, had questioned whether the breweries should be listed among the “essential” businesses allowed to operate during the lockdown, which is aimed at stemming a recent surge in coronavirus cases in Malaysia to 3,662.
PAS said that breweries should not be permitted to operate while “denying the importance of other industries that is more reasonable to be preferred than alcoholic drinks.”
However, Heineken Malaysia stated that it has “an obligation to ensure continuous supply” of its products and “maintain the employment” of its people.