People don’t seem to care about the smoking ban at eateries

It’s 2020, and there’s a certain new year’s resolution that is now a legal requirement for smokers in Malaysia. Full enforcement of the smoking ban at all eateries has started from the 1st of January 2020.

Over the past year or so, warnings have been handed out, with the transitional period seen as a time to educate the public on the upcoming change.

Now, those found smoking in eateries (and other restricted areas) will be given a compound of RM250. A second offence will draw an identical compound, but there will be an increased compound of RM350 for the third offence.

However, reports have surfaced that seem to indicate that the period of “education” hasn’t really been all that effective for some Malaysians. In Kuala Lumpur, four compounds were handed out on the first of January, while 51 individuals were caught red-handed on the first day of enforcement in Pahang.

Negeri Sembilan saw a similarly disappointing result, with 42 notices of compounds issued—including 15 notices given to restaurant owners for not displaying no-smoking signs and ensuring that no one smokes on their property.

As for the state of Selangor, 64 compounds were handed out by authorities on the first day of enforcement (as of 3PM), of which 51 were individuals who were caught smoking in eateries.

What can be done?

As it stands, not a whole lot, apparently. While enforcement of the new rule is definitely welcome, the numbers serve to highlight that there is still a sizeable number of individuals who flout the rules.

As we’ve discussed before, the Ministry of Health’s WhatsApp hotline doesn’t seem to be maintained well. I’ve personally tried to report wrongdoings to no response, while Alex has also complained of infringements upon the smoking ban on Twitter—to no avail (read more about that in the related reading section below).

Again, it’s commendable that effort is being made to enforce the new rule, with 111 officials from the Selangor Health Department being involved in the operation on the 1st of January over a period of 14 hours.

But unless this is a sustained effort, it appears that the new rules aren’t being taken seriously by everyone—for now.

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