Bar at SMU banned from selling alcohol
Students were recently found consuming alcohol in prohibited area
Smoobar, a bar within the Singapore Management University (SMU) campus in Victoria Street, has been barred from selling alcohol pending a police probe.
An SMU spokesman told The New Paper that on April 6, the last day of semester, the bar had breached conditions that allowed it to sell alcohol there.
"The operator is required to ensure that alcohol is only served within its premises at all times," said the spokesman.
The school said the police turned up at about 10.30pm on April 6 after campus security saw groups of students gathering on Campus Green, an outdoor space outside the Li Ka Shing library building.
Some were consuming alcohol and smoking, and did not heed warnings by campus security to stop.
"As the size of the crowd began to grow, the police got involved to disperse the crowd for safety reasons," said the spokesman.
SMU is helping the police with investigations.
An SMU circular on April 16 said: "...alcohol consumption is prohibited in the public areas of SMU (including Campus Green), with the exception of specially designated function spaces at the University, including specific food and beverage outlets on campus."
Smoobar is next to Campus Green, where alcohol consumption is prohibited.
Eyewitnesses that night told TNP they saw students drinking alcohol, but not all of it was from Smoobar.
A female student, 20, who declined to be named, said: "People came prepared with styrofoam boxes filled with beers, others bought hard liquor from convenience stores nearby, and from what I saw, most of the alcohol was not from the bar."
Another SMU student said: "Instead of being banned from selling alcohol, Smoobar should enforce stricter rules on alcohol consumption on campus, and students should abide by campus rules.
"After all, SMU students are not Smoobar's only customers.There is the public as well."
B3, a burger bar bistro in the basement of the School of Information Systems, is not affected by the alcohol ban.
TNP understands that Smoobar's business has dropped by 90 per cent since the ban began on April 11.
An online petition to lift the ban on change.org has collected over 1,000 signatures as of yesterday.
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