No jail term, criminal record for GEG offenders, says Khairy

PETALING JAYA: There will be no criminal record or jail term for generational endgame (GEG) offenders, says Khairy Jamaluddin (pic).

The Health Minister said offenders would only be issued a compound notice instead.

“They will only be issued a maximum compound of RM50 as is currently done towards underage smokers and even then, they can apply for a discount.

"Offences involving future generations under this Bill are also not offences that can be registered under the Registration of Criminals and Undesirable Persons Act 1969,” he said in a TikTok video on Friday (July 29).

He also assured that the implementation of the GEG would not contribute to the illicit cigarette market.

“Logically, it will reduce the demand of tobacco products and eventually reduce the number of smokers within the GEG age groups.

“When fewer people smoke, the supply of both legal or illegal cigarettes on the markets will also become smaller,” he said.

Khairy also noted that the illicit cigarette market was already being tackled by the Malaysian Government, adding that it was not something new.

“Especially for the Health Ministry, this is a main issue as the increase in both legal or illegal cigarettes will increase the number of smokers as a whole.

“Obviously, we do not want this to happen,” he said.

He also gave assurances that his ministry would continue working with other authorities such as the Royal Malaysian Police and Royal Malaysian Customs Department, among others, to flush out the illicit market.

“We will go after the illicit market more forcefully with better coordination and resources,” he said.

Under the proposed Bill, children born in 2007 and subsequent years will be prohibited from smoking, buying or possessing any type of smoking products, including electronic cigarettes or vape products even after reaching the age of 18.

Apart from this, shopkeepers and cigarette vendors are also not allowed to sell smoking products to those covered by the ban.

The ministry had initially proposed the ban to cover those born from Jan 1, 2005, onwards but increased the age limit to Jan 1, 2007.