‘No vaping in non-smoking areas’

SEREMBAN: The Negri Sembilan government has decided to ban vaping in non-smoking areas although it has refused to prohibit the selling of vapes and e-cigarettes in the state.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mo­ha­mad Hasan said his administration concurred with the state Fatwa Council that vaping was haram (strictly prohibited) for Muslims as it was hazardous to health.

“We are of the opinion that va­ping is just like smoking. As such, we will not allow vaping in areas where smokers are forbidden to light up,” he said.

Mohamad added that although the fatwa prohibited Muslims from vaping, those who did so would only be slapped with fines after the fatwa had been gazetted.

He said non-Muslims would not be affected by the state Fatwa Committee’s ruling.

“Also, we have no reason to shut down outlets which sell vapes or e-cigarettes until the federal autho­rities issue a directive that these are illegal,” he said.

On a separate matter, Mohamad said the state government had decided against collecting payment for licences from petty traders and hawkers in the state for the next two years, adding that hawkers and petty traders would otherwise have to fork out between RM150 and RM250 annually for this.

He said some 10,000 hawkers and petty traders would benefit from the move and reminded them that they would still be required to apply for the licences.

On an unrelated matter, Moha­mad said the state exco rejected a request by local councils to increase their assessment rates.

“We are not allowing an increase because we are aware that the cost of living has also risen,” he said, adding the last time the state allowed this was eight years ago.

In Kota Baru, the Kelantan go­­vernment said it could not prevent vaping traders from going to court over the state’s decision to ban va­ping, reports SYED AZHAR.

“All I can say is that the ban was within the ambit of local government laws and if the association still wants to bring the government to court, we cannot prevent them,” said state local government, houisng, health and environment committee chairman Datuk Abdul Fattah Mahmood.