SINGAPORE — Still reeling from losses incurred from last weekend’s blanket ban on the consumption and sale of alcohol in Little India, some shopkeepers there are now fearing the worst in light of the revised measures announced yesterday.

While shopkeepers acknowledged that the revised measures were less drastic than last weekend’s one-off restrictions, they lamented that the extended duration of the new regulations would make their business unsustainable.

It is not only that alcohol sales will be affected, but they foresee a drastic drop in the number of foreign workers who would otherwise throng the area on their days off, they said.

The revised measures will be in place for up to six months, until the Committee of Inquiry looking into the Dec 8 riot makes its recommendations.

Describing the restrictions as “really unfair”, Mr P N Rajan, owner of House of Spice provision store, said: “Six months is too long ... (it’s) no use even if they review the measures afterwards.” His store sells mainly alcohol and has a section of toiletries.

Seventy per cent of his sales on Sundays come from alcohol purchases, said Mr Rajan, adding that he is considering remodelling his business by selling fruits and vegetables as well.

In tandem with stepped-up police patrols, the authorities will impose a ban on public consumption of liquor and disallow the sale of alcohol by retail and wholesale outlets after 8pm on weekends, public holidays and the eve of public holidays. Private bus services ferrying foreign workers from their dormitories to Little India will also be cut.

Shopkeepers noted that since the riot, the buzz in Little India has gone. Miss Irene Yeo, who runs the Yeo Buan Heng Liquor Shop, claimed that she only sold four cans of drinks, including a can of beer, for the entire day yesterday.

Thankfully, she said, the family business should still survive as it supplies drinks to hawker centres and the family does not need to pay rent for the shop space which it owns.

Ms Srividhya Kannaiyan, Manager of S&YMD provision store along Race Course Road, lamented the timing for the restricted sale hours for alcohol. “(This is) really bad news, our alcohol sales usually come in after 6pm, so we only have two hours to sell,” she said.

Restaurants, hotels, pubs and coffee shops are not affected by the revised measures, but the police reiterated that they are bound by liquor licensing conditions.

Under the licensing regime, these establishments cannot allow patrons to buy alcohol to consume outside their premises. They can only sell liquor up to 11.59pm or 4am in some cases. They are also not allowed to sell alcohol to customers who are drunk.

“Any outlet found to have breached the regulations could face possible revocation of licence,” the police said.

Mr Mateen Ahmed, who owns Spice Box coffee shop, said that while he was happy that the one-off blanket ban last week would no longer apply for his business, he was worried that the crowd would not return to the area, after all that has happened and with the latest measures in place.

He doubted that he would get more customers looking for watering holes, given that his shop has limited seating capacity.

Since the riot, his earnings have fallen by 90 per cent, he said. He added that he will monitor the situation for a month, before deciding whether to reduce the number of staff or open for business on fewer days.

However, a handful of business owners TODAY spoke to welcomed the revised measures.

Mr Tarsem Singh, who runs the Aromas of India, hoped that with the area being less crowded with foreign workers, more Singaporeans or tourists will patronise his restaurant.

The Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association (LISHA), which counts 300 businesses in the precinct as its members, was also happy with the authorities’ latest moves. Its Vice-Chairman Raja Gopal said the revised measures were good for all stakeholders — be it tourists, businesses or residents. He acknowledged that businesses will be affected, but he urged them to make the necessary adjustments.

For example, liquor shops should diversify their goods and sell groceries. “(We) can’t have 374 shops selling alcohol, competing with one another to survive,” he said, referring to the total number of shops in Little India.