Above The Law?

Singapore Petroleum Company or SPC has started running an advertisement promoting baijiu in their petrol stations.

This is a contravention of Singapore’s laws which prohibit the advertising of alcohol to minors under 18 years old.

A petrol station is not a controlled place of entry as minors and adults can gain admission even if they are not buying petrol (minimum legal driving age in Singapore is also 18 years old).

Last Saturday, I was filling up the car at SPC Killiney. 

Walking in to make payment, I saw an overhead screen showing something that first reminded of the ancient, classic Marlboro cigarette advertisement featuring cowboys rounding up horses and then having a smoke after a hard day’s work. As cigarette advertising is banned in Singapore, I waited for the ending

Instead, it showed a bottle of Yilite baijiu from Xinjiang.

The Ministry of Home Affairs is responsible for regulating the supply and consumption of alcohol. The current Minister of Home Affairs Mr K Shanmugam is also Singapore’s Minister of Laws.

Singapore Petroleum Company is owned by PetrolChina, itself owned by China’s state-owned CNPC or China National Petroleum Corporation. Both are based in Beijing.