KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 5 — The Parliament Special Select Committee (PSSC) formed to review the Control of Tobacco Products and Smoking Bill 2022 has agreed and recommended that the general fine for the Generational End Game (GEG) Bill be amended to RM500 from its previous proposed amount, RM5,000.

In the committee’s statement published on Parliament’s official website today, the amendment was made to sub-clause 13(4) and 17(2).

"The committee noted the presentation from the Ministry of Health on the proposed amendment of sub-clause 13(4) and sub-clause 17(2) of the Bill for the reduction of the fine amount from RM 5,000 to RM 500.

"Therefore, the committee has agreed and recommended that the fine amount of RM5,000 be amended to RM500 for sub-clause 13(4) and 17(2) of the bill,” the statement said.

As recorded in the statement, the PSSC agreed and recommended that a community service order be included under sub-clause 13(4) and 17(2), along with a fine of RM500.

In addition, the PSSC agreed that there was no need to specifically provide for the offence of smoking as a registrable offence in accordance with Section 17(1), while it also agreed that the ban of possession of tobacco or vape products for anyone born from January 1, 2007, should be dropped.

The PSSC said the focus needed to be given to educational activities for a certain period that can be implemented administratively and does not need to be specified in the relevant Bill.

"The committee agreed and recommended that the implementation of Clause 17 of the Bill should be enforced educationally for a period of three years after this Act is enforced,” it said.

The PSSC also agreed and recommended that enforcement powers be limited for the purposes of manufacturing, packaging, storage, delivery, distribution or sale of tobacco products.

"The committee agreed and recommended enforcement powers for entering the premises is excluded for residential houses.

"The committee agreed and recommended to exclude clause 17 for the power to stop, search and seize carriers as well as access to recorded information, computerised data.”

The Dewan Rakyat on August 2 approved the Bill to be referred to the PSSC which is made up of 13 MPs from the government and the Opposition and is chaired by the Minister of Health.