Proposal for smoking room in Parliament to be shut down

KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry is mulling the proposal to shut down the smoking room in Parliament in October.

Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye suggested banning smoking in the Parliament compound as well.

The ministry is also seeking to gazette open-air eateries as no-smoking zones starting December this year.

“This will depend on further discussions with stakeholders.”

Lee said that in his windingup speech in response to Senator Datuk Yong Wui Chung’s concern about the enforcement of nosmoking zones during the Dewan Negara sitting here.

He said there were a total of 45,799 notices for smokingrelated offence under the Control of Tobacco Product Regulations 2004 last year, including for smoking in no-smoking zones.

Of the amount, 25,531 compounds have been issued while the remaining 20,268 offences would be brought to court.

Additionally, 23,813 of the 25,531 compounds have been settled which amounted to more than RM2.5 million.

Lee said the no-smoking zones aimed to protect the public, especially non-smokers, from being exposed to the dangers of cigarette smoke.

This is in line with Malaysia’s commitment to Article 8 of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

He said smoking was prohibited in 21 areas including hospitals, public toilets, lifts, government premises as well as airconditioned shops and offices.

He added the ministry was committed to gazette all public places as no-smoking zones, in line with Malaysia’s commitment as a member country of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

To this end, Lee said individuals who were found smoking in the 23 no-smoking zones would be fined not exceeding RM10,000 or jailed not more than two years under Regulation 11(3) of the Control of Tobacco Product Regulations.