PUTRAJAYA, Jan 2 ― Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad today assured the public that designated smoking areas will be provided in the future after a nationwide smoking ban in eateries kicked in yesterday.
“Definitely. We at the ministry through our state health department is working closely with local government authorities to provide a designated area for smoking.
“There is a close cooperation between both agencies and they even conduct inspections as a team,” he said during a press conference at the Health Ministry here.
Dzulkefly, however, did not elaborate on when the move will take place.
Following the nationwide smoking ban, Malaysians had a field day sharing memes that poked fun at some of the rules for having a puff in public.
One such example are photos of smokers attempting to comply with the law by using measuring tapes to abide by the three-metre distance between them and a restaurant.
Restaurant operators were also unclear on the specifics of the new rule; whether it is measured from the interior or from the outside the boundaries of the eatery.
Anyone found guilty of the offence of smoking in banned areas can be fined up to RM10,000 or jailed up to two years under Regulation 11 of the Control of Tobacco Product Regulations 2004.
The Health Ministry had said it will not enforce the law fully until July 1, to enable the public to adjust to the ban and only written warnings will be issued to offenders during the six-month period.
Premise or vehicle owners and operators who fail to display the smoking ban signage can be fined up to RM3,000 or jailed up to six months under Regulation 12 of the Control of Tobacco Product Regulations 2004.
For the offence of failing to ensure that nobody smokes and for providing smoking facilities, they can be fined up to RM5,000 or imprisoned up to one year.
