Looking for a fair deal as the ban on smoking bites

THE slapping of a waiter by a man who was caught flouting the no-smoking rule in a restaurant in Shah Alam on the first day of the implementation of the smoking ban in all restaurants and eateries was certainly not wise.

Why was he angry when advised not to smoke in the premises as even a five-year-old child would have known by then that people are not allowed to smoke in restaurants, coffeeshops, open-air hawker stalls and street stalls nationwide from Jan 1?

If he insisted on smoking, he could have stepped out 3m away from the restaurant to do so. He must have not known that he could smoke in a space 3m away from restaurants and eateries. On the other hand, would he have done so had he known about it?

By the way, these areas should be provided with a bin which smokers could use to dispose of their cigarette butts (or else such places would be littered with them).

Slapping the poor waiter was not necessary. The smoker should turn himself in to the police for voluntarily causing hurt to another person under Section 323 of the Penal Code. He should also meet the waiter he slapped to apologise for his bad behaviour.

Be a man, Mr Smoker. Apologise to the waiter and do it sincerely.

Since the no-smoking ruling was enforced, I have noticed that the majority of smokers do not light up after finishing their meals. Hats off to them. This shows that restaurant operators are truly enforcing the ban even though some may be losing their patrons. One restaurant I frequent was usually packed during lunch and in the evenings but not now.

Having said all that, I think smokers can light up in eateries after a meal but on condition that they do it in a specially built room with good air ventilation to prevent the cigarette smoke from disturbing the non-smoking customers. Owners of the premises could build one room for their customers who are smokers. Some restaurants had these rooms in the past and there were no complaints from the non-smoking diners.

These rooms might not be feasible now, but then again it is something for the Health Minister to ponder over. Maybe he could review past suggestions by smokers for having such rooms.

MOHD FAIZAL ABDULLAH Kuala Lumpur