KOTA KINABALU, June 4 — There is no order to stop the sale of alcohol in supermarkets in Sabah, said Covid-19 spokesman Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun.

The state local government and housing minister said that although there was no specific order to stop supermarkets or grocery stores from selling alcohol, liquor shops were not allowed to operate.

"A supermarket is a supermarket. You can buy anything that it sells. The standard operating procedure (SOP) does not specify or itemise what you can or cannot buy,” he said when asked whether there was a ban on alcohol sales in the state.

He said that liquor shops, however, were listed as non-essential, and therefore, not allowed to open.

"Are shops selling liquor only an essential service?” he asked.

There has been an issue over the sale of liquor and alcohol in peninsula Malaysia where reports emerged overnight that grocery stores, sundry shops and supermarkets were not allowed to sell alcohol at their premises as they were non-essential brews.

Sabah has adopted an amended version of the national SOP for the current lockdown with shops and businesses mostly allowed to open only until 7pm.