Huffing and puffing for leniency as smoking ban nears

PETALING JAYA: With two weeks left before a smoking ban begins on Jan 1, two associations representing over 21,000 coffee shops and restaurants are pleading with the government to allow smoking sections at their premises.

Ho Su Mong, president of the Malaysia-Singapore Coffee Shop Proprietors’ General Association, and T Muthusamy of the Malaysian Indian Restaurants Association, said it was difficult for their members to become enforcement agents.

They had already put up no-smoking signs at their premises, but some customers, particularly regular patrons, continued to smoke. It was difficult for shop owners to reprimand them, the two association presidents said.

Ho said some smokers were still “immune” to the smoking ban, which covers restaurants, coffee-shops and other eating places. Asking them to smoke outside did not work as it was habitual for them to smoke while having a drink or a meal.

“We must give smokers more time to change their habits. One year is not enough, I believe they need three years. We should encourage them to change their habits through education and awareness rather than trying to force them to do so,” he said.

Penalties for those who fail to observe the smoking ban range up to RM10,000 in fines or up to 3 years’ jail.

Ho said he hoped the health ministry would not be too strict against proprietors as they were not enforcement officers and could only advise customers against smoking at their eateries.

“Some customers quarrel with shop owners when we tell them they cannot smoke. So we hope the government understands our problem.”

Restaurants should be allowed to provide smoking sections, he said, with customers left to decide for themselves if they wished to patronise shops with a smoking section.

“Maybe they can be allowed to smoke in the outside section or something like that. Asking them to walk out to smoke in the street is unfair, our smoking customers also have dignity.”

Muthusamy also hoped smoking areas would be allowed. He feared a loss of business of up to 20% once the ban comes into force.

“Some customers are still not sure where they are allowed to smoke, where that 10-feet perimeter is,” he said, adding there were also those who continued to light up.

Muthusamy said the government should focus on raising awareness on the dangers of smoking, particularly on second-hand smoke, so that people would change their habits.

“The enforcement on smoking also needs to go hand-in-hand with efforts to curb illicit cigarettes,” Mutusamy said. He hoped the government would be more business friendly. - FMT