No more cigarette sales at Pelita restaurants nationwide

BUTTERWORTH (Bernama): Pelita Nasi Kandar restaurants nationwide have stopped selling cigarettes at its premises.

According to Pelita Samudra Pertama (M) Sdn Bhd (Pelita) Pelita executive director, Datuk K K Sihabutheen, the sale of cigarettes should have ceased at its 28 nasi kandar outlets middle next year as their contract with the cigarette suppliers are still on.

"However, following a discussion with them (cigarette suppliers) both parties agreed to terminate the contract to supply cigarettes at the Pelita restaurants beginning yesterday (Jan 16).

"We are confident we will have the support of our customers as most of them want a smoke-free area. Moreover there's no point selling cigarettes when customers are not allowed to smoke in the restaurant," he told a news conference here on Thursday (Jan 17).

State Health, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry and Rural Development Committee chairman Dr Afif Bahardin, who was also present at the press conference thanked the restaurant chain for the initiative.

In October last year, the Health Ministry announced that smoking in all restaurants, coffeeshops and hawker centres – even open-air eateries – nationwide would be banned starting 2019.

Those caught smoking in prohibited areas will be fined up to RM10,000 or face two years' jail while eateries found to have allowed customers to light up will be slapped with a maximum fine of RM2,500.

Smokers are, however, permitted to light up 3m away from the establishments. - Bernama