SETIA ALAM: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has expressed his support towards the tabling of the Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill in Parliament.
His Majesty added that the move to further study the Bill for the benefit of the rakyat was a noble effort by the Dewan Rakyat.
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“I call for Malaysians to give their support on further studies of this Bill. So, in principle we could support it.
“For the execution, we leave it to the government. They will decide how and when to execute the Bill once passed,” His Majesty added.
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On Aug 2, a motion to refer the Bill to the Parliament Special Select Committee was passed by the Dewan Rakyat.
The committee will look into the enforcement clause as well as proposed penalties under the Bill, otherwise known as the tobacco generational end game (GEG).
Sultan Abdullah said the Bill is crucial to ensure the health of the future generations.
“We need to educate the younger generation to take good care of their health, which in return could reduce the activities that could be harmful towards public health.
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“And the most important, the Health Ministry can reduce their spending on providing treatment (for tobacco-related diseases).”
Sultan Abdullah was delivering his speech at the launching of the National Institute for Health (NIH) Complex at Setia Alam, Selangor.
Also present were Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, and Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, among others.
