Alcohol and Drugs History Society

Public Drinking Punishment Challenges Islamic Law

Malaysia's moderate Islamic status is put to the test by a Muslim woman who drank alcohol in public and has been sentenced to be caned.  Here are the links to the discussion in the American Muslim and True/Slant. The history of coffee drinking and Islamic law is also referenced.

Malaysian coffee for Filipinos

Old Town White Coffee, packets of instant coffee created with various flavors, has long been popular in Malaysia. It now is being sold in the Philippines. For more, see here. By the way, the article refers to Filipinos as Pinoys.

Opium and the British Empire (book)

Sanjay Krishnan, Reading the global: troubling perspectives on Britain's empire in Asia (New York: Columbia University Press, 2007). Includes a chapter called "Opium Confessions: Narcotic, Commodity, and the Malay Amuk."

Malaysia emerges as largest cocoa grinder in Asia

Malaysia is now the largest cocoa grinder in Asia and the fourth largest in the world. Although the USA is the main importer of Malayian cocoa, China is emerging as a major market. For more, see here.

Opium smoking in Straits Settlements (article)

Harumi  Goto-Shibata, "Empire on the Cheap : The Control of Opium Smoking in the Straits Settlements, 1925-1939," Modern Asian Studies 40/1 (2006): 59-80.

'These are beers to match Asian lifestyle and Asian food'

What drink goes well with Malaysian beef rendang, mini octopus and Thai vermicelli salad? How about an ice-cold Traveller's Wheat beer, spiced with tamarind, ginger and a pinch of lemongrass and Chinese orange peel? The surprisingly refreshing brew is the star of a trio of craft beers recently introduced by Archipelago Brewing Co. and brewed specifically to complement the unique flavors of Southeast Asian cuisine. Read more.

Aussie to hang for heroin smuggling

A 25-YEAR-OLD Melbourne man who said he smuggled heroin in an effort to pay off his twin brother's debts will within days become the first Australian to be executed in Singapore after a final presidential appeal for clemency was rejected.

Nguyen Tuong Van is expected to be hanged within 10 days, despite pleas for mercy to Singaporean President Sellapan Rama Nathan by John Howard, Governor-General Michael Jeffery and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer.

Nguyen was sentenced to death last year. He had been caught with 396g of heroin strapped to his back and in his hand luggage while in transit at Singapore's Changi airport in December 2002, on his way from Cambodia to Melbourne.

News.com.au reports.

Tobacco to kill 10 million people a year

The Malaysian National News Agency reports (19 August 2005) that tobacco is expected to cause some 10 million deaths annually by 2030 if the current smoking patterns do not change, according to the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA). Presently, there are about 1.1 billion smokers throughout the world and four million die each year due to their habits, it said. Read more here.

Malaysian Muslims to be caned for drinking

Reuters reports (14 June 2005) that a Muslim court in Malaysia has ordered two men to be caned for drinking alcohol in public, perhaps the first time such a harsh sentence has been meted out in the moderate, mainly Muslim nation, a daily said on Wednesday. Find the full story here.

Curb smoking via the pocket

The Star Online reports (21 May 2005) from Kuala Lumpur that the best way to discourage people from taking up smoking is to make the habit very expensive by sharply increasing the tax on tobacco. Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control (MCTC) president Prof Dr Syed Mohamed Aljunid suggested a tax increase of 75% to 80% of the current cigarette retail price. He said research has shown that increasing the tobacco price would reduce the number of new smokers. “The tax should be that high because if it is any lower, the manufacturers could absorb it. Find the full story here.