00:00A lawyer has poured cold water on a proposal to hold owners of business premises liable
00:06for incidents of drunk drivers endangering other road users.
00:10Jasmin Khor Dhaliwal said significant hurdles make it difficult to penalise someone for
00:16serving or selling alcoholic drinks to a person who later causes an accident while driving
00:21in an intoxicated state.
00:24She told FMT that firstly the claimant would have to prove negligence on the part of the
00:28business owner, including establishing a link between serving him alcohol and the harm caused
00:34subsequently.
00:35Jasmin said that it is difficult to determine whether a person who has had a drink is indeed
00:41inebriated, as people exhibit different levels of tolerance to alcohol and may mask outward
00:47signs of intoxication.
00:50She was commenting on a suggestion by Shafiq Ikram Abdullah, head of PKR Youth's NGO and
00:56Volunteers Bureau, for local governments to introduce DRAM shop liability as a new requirement
01:01in business licences for premises selling alcohol under which operators would be held legally
01:08accountable if they over-serve customers.
01:11Jasmin said several steps can be taken to reduce the incidence of driving under the influence,
01:17including public education campaigns, promoting the designated driver culture, and improved
01:23access to late-night transportation options outside bars.
01:27Han Yuzhou, FMT.
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