Restaurant operators: Compliance may take time

After a meal: Two customers standing outside a restaurant for a smoke in Kuantan. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR: Public awareness of the no-smoking ruling at eateries is building up but the compliance level is expected to take longer than the six-month grace period, said restaurant operators.

Chain restaurant Q Bistro owner Riyasudin Mohamed Dulkif said while not everyone was happy, restaurant operators must strike a deli­cate balance between enforcing the ban and ensuring their patrons do not feel unwelcome.

His staff were trained on the standard operating procedure a week before the no-smoking ruling was enforced on Tuesday, said Riyasudin.

“If staff members see someone smoking, they will tell the customer not to do that here as this is a smoke-free zone.

“But my staff members won’t go as far as telling our customers to go out on the street to smoke,” said Riyasudin, referring to the government’s condition that smokers could still light up 3m away from restaurants.

He said as the government had provided a six-month cooling off pe­­riod before compounds are issued, he would use this time to advise patrons to adhere to the ban.

“It’s a bit difficult though. The customers tend to smoke at night,” Riyasudin said.

“What we can do is to put up the no-smoking signs, tell them not to smoke and stop providing ashtrays but if they are recalcitrant, we can’t really do much because we don’t want them to be put off.”

Persatuan Restoran Selangor dan Wilayah Persekutuan Ku Su Shin Choong Hung secretary-general Datuk Ringo Kaw said the initial stage would be difficult.

“For our customers who are smokers, they will feel that it’s a bit difficult to follow this rule.

“However, slowly, there will be change. But this will take some time,” said Kaw.

He said many restaurant owners under his association had been cooperative about putting up the required no-smoking signs at their establishments.

Technician Mohd Rizal Ridzuan Abdul Malik, 41, who is a father of two, said he supported the no-smoking ruling because it protected children from second-hand smoke.

“I’m not a smoker so I agree with the ban because it’s not healthy for children to be in an environment filled with cigarette smoke,” he said.

Investment consultant Victor Moy, 68, said it was good to implement the ban for everybody’s sake but lighting up should not be the Health Ministry’s sole focus on ea­teries.

“The issue of cleanliness must also be taken into account too,” he said.

“The ministry should do more random checks to check on cleanliness because this is also very important to public health.”