Health Ministry rubbishes talk of smoking ban suspension

PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry has rubbished claims on social media that the courts have ordered a suspension on the ban on smoking in restaurants.

"The ministry would like to emphasise that up to now there has been no instruction from the court to stop or suspend enforcement activities of the smoking ban in places of eating," director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said.

In a statement Saturday (Feb 2), Dr Noor reminded all parties to continue complying with the new regulations as the ministry would continue to carry out awareness activities until June 2019.

The full enforcement will start in July 2019, he added.

"Implementation of the ban on smoking in eating places is in line with Malaysia's commitment to Article 8 of the World Health Organisation's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in protecting the public, especially non-smokers, from being exposed to the hazards of cigarette and tobacco products," Dr Noor said.