“No doubt smokers will say they have the right to smoke, but non-smokers also have the right to have smoke-free areas,” Dr. Lee Boon Chye had said.
Effective 1 January 2019, smoking will be banned in all restaurants and hawker stalls across Malaysia.
Malaysia will enforce a smoking ban on restaurants, coffee shops, and hawker stalls nationwide from Jan 1, Sin Chew Daily cited Deputy Health Minister Lee Boon Chye as saying on Thursday (Oct 11).
Deputy Health Minister Dr. Lee Boon Chye: the gazettement is not only to encourage smokers to kick the habit but also to protect non-smokers from second-hand smoke due to tobacco products. Studies show that people who are exposed to secondary smoke are at risk of developing lung cancer, coronary heart disease, and even stroke. Note that cigarette smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals.
The ban includes all air-conditioned and open-air restaurants, coffee shops, hawker centres, and street stalls. It was explained that the Ministry of Health aims to provide all Malaysians with a healthier dining environment, free of smoke.
The Straits Times reported that Dr. Lee Boon Chye as saying that an RM10,000 fine will be slapped on those caught smoking in prohibited areas, while RM2,500 will be imposed on owners of restaurants and hawker stalls who fail to enforce the ban.
Besides that, the Health Ministry is also considering closing the smoking room at the Parliament building by October.
They said the announcement by the ministry also showed the government was fulfilling its obligation to protect public health and make public places 100% smoke-free, as detailed in the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which Malaysia has signed and ratified.
The current Control of Tobacco Product (Amendment) Regulations 2017 prohibits smoking in 21 areas including hospitals, public toilets, lifts, government premises as well as air-conditioned shops and offices. Others include parks and government premises.
However, there are differing views on the smoking ban.
There have been some concerns raised that this ban could affect businesses in the future. But the associations have refuted those claims by giving examples of a similar ban adopted by other countries. For example, in England, restaurant businesses grew after smoking was banned.
