The Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, I am pleased to speak while you are in the Chair and to join this Adjournment Debate on the devastation caused by the recent torrential rains. I thank the people of Kandy District and our voters in Ampara, Batticaloa and several other districts for electing four of our SLMC candidates, and we hope to secure one National List seat from the SJB, enabling us to have five MPs again.

¶ 02 Before my main remarks, today the Government promised to table in Parliament the list of liquor licenses issued by the previous administration. That list has been provided. I wish to draw attention to a controversial case in Panwila, Kandy, where a new liquor outlet is planned near Sinhala and Tamil schools, preschools, Buddhist temples and Christian churches. I am tabling letters from custodians of Buddhist and Christian places of worship and Muslim mosques opposing it. Please heed these objections and prevent this outlet from being established.