Smoking products bill: Dr Dzul offers 'a million apologies' over GEG failure

 

Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad has offered a million apologies in the Dewan Negara over the dropping of tobacco and vape generational end game (GEG) provisions, which were removed from the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill.

Just a day after taking over from former health minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa, the Kuala Selangor MP came forward to table the bill for approval at the Dewan Negara today.

Dzulkefly acknowledged public concerns following the dropping of the provision, but he requested that all parties understand and support the measures taken by the government for now.

“I apologise a million times, I apologise to everyone and I present it without diminishing the importance that all members approve this bill.

“Because it has been worked on for too long, many health ministers have struggled with it, was reviewed by several cabinets and today I am presenting it to the Dewan Negara, fully hoping that it will be given support.

He also said that he is a strong advocate of the efforts to find a solution to the problem of nicotine addiction and other similar items that are harmful to one’s health.

However, he said that the government needs to take a comprehensive approach to changing society’s perception and habits in matters related to the issue of smoking and nicotine addiction.

“GEG is certainly a way for us to reduce the percentage of smokers in our country from 21 percent to (an expectantly) low level of five percent by 2040.

“Since the GEG provision is not included in this bill, imagine how difficult it will be for us to reduce the percentage of smokers. Even with the GEG, it is also a difficult thing, even more so if the GEG provision is not included in the bill.

“But I want to mention that with the absence of the GEG, we have been facing difficulty in reaching the KPI to the level mentioned earlier," said Dzulkefly.

Not as easy to implement

Explaining further, he said that the Health Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) and the Health Ministry wanted GEG to be allocated in this bill, but it could not be fulfilled after the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) perceived the GEG as a contravention of Article 8 of the Federal Constitution that guarantees equality before the law.

Dzulkefly then reiterated the Health Ministry’s decision to not continue with the GEG element due to discussions by the previous cabinet.

“However, I have to state that this is a struggle, but it is certainly a path that we will revisit from time to time. (We have been hoping) to prohibit those born on Jan 1, 2007 and after from smoking, vaping, or even having access to cigarettes or vape products.

“All nine PSCC members took 14 rounds of meetings, involving no less than 13 public and private higher education institutions, involving expert panels, all stakeholders including the industry itself, NGOs, as well as other ministries.

“To further increase the level of clarity and understanding about GEG for us to include in this bill, we have involved (all parties and) almost no one is left behind,” explained Dzulkefly, who also gave credit to former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin over his efforts to introduce the bill. - Mkini