Argument over smoking at eatery ends in punch

 

A viral video of the incident shows an elderly man being confronted by another man from a neighbouring table. Pic Credit: Social Media

KUALA LUMPUR: A dispute over smoking at an eatery escalated into a physical confrontation after a tense exchange between two men.

A viral video of the incident shows an elderly man being confronted by another man from a neighbouring table. The location and date of the incident remain unconfirmed.

According to the video caption, the argument in Hokkien stemmed from a man's dissatisfaction over the elderly man smoking at the eatery, especially in the presence of a child.

Both men were seen pointing at each other as the argument grew heated.

The man recording the video then slapped the elderly man's hand as he was pointing. The elderly man immediately stood up and threw a punch towards the recorder before the video ended abruptly.

A ban on smoking at eateries was introduced in 2019 under the Control of Tobacco Product Regulations.

Violators face fines of up to RM10,000 or up to two years in jail, while restaurant owners risk a RM5,000 fine or up to a year in jail.

The video has drawn thousands of views and sparked online debate, with commenters split over whether the confrontation was justified.

One X user, Tahrin Kadir, said, "If a place is clearly a smoking spot, I wouldn't go into that shop in the first place. But if I were seated first and he came later and started smoking, I would definitely tell him off directly."

Leanne Atkinson said, "Politely tell the uncle you are concerned about cigarette smoke, as you have young children. I am sure he would not have reacted the way he did."

Gabriel Gabriel said that while the smoker may be in the wrong, starting a reminder in a confrontational or aggressive manner would only lead to a fight. - FMT