Minister: No let-up in enforcement of smoking ban

PUTRAJAYA: Smokers who think that enforcement of the ban against lighting up at the eateries will ease off with time are in for a shock.

The Health Ministry intends on keeping it up, with the minister warning that the no-smoking ruling would “not be a one-off thing”.

Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad assured Malaysians that the ban, which came into force on Jan 1, was not just something for show.

“There are people who are concerned that the smoking ban may not be serious and merely hangat-hangat tahi ayam (short-term enthusiasm). No, this is not a seasonal or a one-off thing.

“It is important for the ministry to ensure that this campaign is continuous until it becomes our culture and way of life,” he said.

He had earlier visited several eateries at Precinct 9 here and distributed no-smoking campaign flyers to customers and shop owners.

Dr Dzulkefly said it was still too early to measure the campaign’s success but that support from the public had been overwhelming.

“I have smokers coming forward to tell me they are supportive of the new ban. This shows our readiness to become a civilised and cultured society,” he said.

On whether designated smoking areas would be set up, he said the ministry would look into this after the six-month period of “educational enforcement”.