BeBAs and stringent regulations against smoking in public

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad said the government has taken strict actions against smoking in eateries and public places.

The two actions taken are intensifying enforcement activities under Regulation 11(1), Control of Tobacco Product Regulations 2004 and Increasing involvement from various ministries, government agencies, private bodies, professional organizations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in conducting promotion and advocacy activities to ensure compliance with the smoking ban.

“In 2023, a total of 16,046 enforcement operations were conducted compared to 12,773 in 2022 and 6,598 in 2021. As of 2024, 7,071 enforcement operations have been conducted (January – May),” he said.

“As a result of continuous enforcement activities, Health Ministry (MOH) issued a total of 41,581 smoking offence notices compared to 30,648 in 2022 and 7,818 in 2021. From January 1, 2024, to May 31, 2024, a total of 22,554 smoking offence notices were issued, he said.

“Most recently, MOH introduced the Premis Bersih Bebas Asap Walkabout Program (BeBAs) to empower the community through inter-agency cooperation, NGOs, and Trade Associations to ensure compliance with cleanliness standards in food premises and smoking bans,” he added.

He was responding to Pang Hok Liong (PH – Labis) who wanted to know what immediate strict actions have been taken, given that the smoking ban in all restaurants, food premises, and certain public places, which came into effect on January 1, 2019, has been increasingly ignored by the public since 2020 due to the failure or weakness in enforcement being taken seriously.