M’sia to enforce smoke, vape ban in eateries starting 2020 - Dr Lee

GEORGE TOWN, Dec 20 -- The Ministry of Health (MoH) announced that smoking and vaping would be strictly prohibited in all eateries across Malaysia from 2020 onwards.

Its deputy minister Dr Lee Boon Chye today said that offenders would be slapped with a fine of RM250, but would be reduced to RM150 if the fine was settled in less than a month.

“If stubborn (and) not paying up, a fine of up to RM10,000 can be imposed,” he said at a press conference after officiating at the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) seminar held at Universiti Sains Malaysia, here.

The one-day seminar highlighted the dangers and threats of AMR, a status effect when microbes such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites are immune to be killed by medicines and antibiotics.

Dr Lee said the no-smoking movement over the past year had significantly reduced the number of smokers in eateries, especially in urban areas.

"We hope that this policy would gain a lot of support from the public. For the non-smokers, of course, they are quite happy (but) for the smokers, I do hope that they would take this opportunity to quit smoking, reduce smoking, or at least have a habit to not smoke in front of other people,” he said, adding that 21 per cent of Malaysian adults smoked.

-- BERNAMA