Health minister: Okay for smoking huts but follow rules

The Health Ministry has allowed designated smoking areas or huts to be built in public spaces, including in commercial areas and food courts.

However, Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said this was all right as long as the rules, especially for smoking areas to be at least three metres away from eateries, were followed. 

“We see the advantages of doing this (building public smoking areas) as there are still those who wish to smoke. That is their right.

“I said I will permit it but please do it outside the three-metre range. That is a rule,” he said to reporters after launching a blood donation campaign at Surau Al Ikhlasiah Keramat Jaya, Kampung Datuk Keramat in Kuala Lumpur this morning.

He was responding to criticism levelled against the recent announcement that the Housing and Local Government Ministry will be allocating RM1 million for the construction of public smoking huts.

This includes commercial areas and food courts operated by 155 local councils across the country.

Elaborating further, Dzulkefly said the Pakatan Harapan government was taking a comprehensive approach dealing with the smoking issue.

“Yes, the (Health) ministry is responsible. But other (ministries) also have a role. The operations of local governments is under the authority of the KPKT (Housing and Local Government Ministry).

“That is why when we initiated the smoking ban in public places, they (KPKT) will step in while adhering to things (rules) such as the three-metre or 10-feet range.

“We have no problem,” he said.

As such, he added the two ministries were cooperating, functioning together as part of one government.

“I know some feel (the KPKT’s decision) was akin to encouraging smoking. That is a perception that is hard to address.”

Dzulkefly also informed that his ministry will debate the guidelines on the construction of the smoking huts at the National Council for Local Government in March.

“The guidelines will be discussed at the National Council for Local Government to be chaired by (Deputy Prime Minister) Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail,” he said.

The government’s smoking ban at eateries within a three-metre range came into force in January last year.

Those who light up within three metres of eateries risk being fined RM10,000 or jail up to two years.

Following this, the Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin announced the RM1 million allocation for smoking huts in areas operated by local municipal councils.

She added that private eatery owners will also be allowed to build their smoking huts at their own expense, upon obtaining local council approval.

However, several medical organisations and specialists have criticised the move, saying it was counterproductive to the ban.

Smoking is already banned in many public areas, including parks, shopping malls, government buildings, schools, mosques, hospitals, and any indoor facility.

Members of the public can report the smoking ban violation to the authorities via WhatsApp at 010-8608949. - Mkini