A GOVERNMENT backbencher today has protested the no smoking notice at Parliament, which was signed by Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, to the Dewan Rakyat speaker.

Johari Abdul (Sungai Petani-PH) said the person in charge of Parliament is the speaker, and not any minister.

“This is your House. The minister should have discussed with the speaker who will then inform the members of the House.

“I don’t smoke but we should be fair to all MPs. You’re our boss here, not the minister. He has no power to put up notices at Parliament,” the PKR MP told speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof today.

Since Monday, Parliament has become a smoke-free zone with immediate effect. Vape and e-cigarettes are also included in the ban.

On the first day of the new policy, eight people, including an MP, were fined RM500 under the Control of Tobacco Product Regulations 2004. Failure to settle could earn them a RM10,000 fine or two months in jail or both.

Bung Moktar Radin (Kinabatangan-BN) supported Johari, saying that there should not be enforcement officers looking for mistakes committed by MPs, apart from the speaker.

“They have to respect the speaker,” the Sabah MP said.

Ariff said he will look into the issue and issue an appropriate guideline.

“We will resolve this as amicably as possible,” he said. – October 18, 2018.