A disgrace if Sarawak doesn’t implement smoking ban, says Lo
KUCHING: It will be a disgrace if Sarawak is the only state in Malaysia to oppose the federal government’s smoking ban at all eateries effective Jan 1 next year.
In expressing this view yesterday, United People’s Party ( UPP) secretary general George Lo said he is all for the new policy that serves to promote a healthy lifestyle among Malaysians.
Lo, a practising lawyer, even asserted that such prohibition should have been put in place a long time ago.
As such, he urged Local Government and Housing Minister and Sarawak United People’s Party ( SUPP) president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian not to turn the smoking ban into an issue.
“I fully support the smoking ban and I call on our Minister of Local Government and Housing not to make an issue ( out) of the ban.
“The ban is clearly for the benefit of everyone’s health and is long overdue. It would be a disgrace if Sarawak is the only opponent of the ban,” he said in a statement to The Borneo Post.
He was responding to Dr Sim’s comments on Sunday that the federal government’s smoking ban at all eateries to be enforced from Jan 1 “does not apply to Sarawak unless the Sarawak government adopts the new policy”.
Meanwhile, state special officer to the federal Housing and Local Government Ministry Voon Shiak Ni said although Dr Sim is correct in the sense that local councils in Sarawak have their own Local Authorities Ordinance, the issue should not be politicised.
“Smoking ban is a positive move to help promote public health,” said the national Parti Keadilan Rakyat ( PKR) Women vice- chief.
Voon said she is supportive of Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye’s announcement to ban smoking at all eateries given that such policy serves to protect non- smokers from second-hand tobacco smoke, which is a serious health hazard.
“We take pride in having our autonomy on certain affairs affecting our state to safeguard our state rights and the interests of Sarawakians.
“But this is public healthrelated issue and we do hope that such issue will not be politicised,” she added.
She observed that some coffee shop owners had expressed concern that their business could be affected after the smoking ban is enforced on Jan 1.
“In such a circumstance, I do propose to Dr Sim to look into the viability of segregating smoking and non- smoking zones at all eateries for the benefit of the community.”
According to Voon, the smoking ban at all eateries will do good, especially to families with children.
She asserted that the new policy should be viewed as a positive move and taken positively by the general public.
“I am sure it will bring long-term benefits to the overall social well-being of our society,” she said.
Malaysia is expected to enforce the smoking ban at all eateries – air- conditioned and non- air- conditioned – including restaurants, coffee shops, open- air hawker centres and street stalls from Jan 1 next year.
Those caught smoking at prohibited areas will be fined RM10,000 and eateries found not enforcing the ban will be fined RM2,500.