KHAIRY Jamaluddin should blame himself and not other ministers for introducing a flawed bill aimed at making it illegal for those born after 2007 to buy or consume nicotine products, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing said.  

“Don’t simply slam ministers who are giving their views on the generational endgame (GEG). Please find out more details before you talk,” Tiong said on Facebook today. 

He was referring to the former health minister’s social media posts yesterday in which he had accused two ministers and the prime minister of blocking the GEG bill.

Taking the matter to Instagram, Khairy wrote that the two are Law and Institutional Reform Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Azalina Othman Said and Tiong. 

Khairy orchestrated the GEG bill when he was the health minister and slammed the current administration for its handling of the matter.

Tiong said Khairy could not just accept the decision that the proposed bill was unconstitutional and unenforceable.

“If this matter is implemented in haste and in the end there are various weaknesses and criticisms leading to massive public complaints, who is to blame?

“Ironically, throughout his tenure as health minister, apart from trying to improve his own popularity and image, what has he contributed to our country’s health system? 

“If none, he should not point the finger at other ministers including me for the failure to pass the GEG bill,” said Tiong.

He also said he had repeatedly expressed doubts about the bill in parliament. 

“At that time, in addition to not giving detailed answers, Khairy also failed to answer my questions on the matter specifically.  

“What is more extreme is when he released the statement that the B40 group is most affected by diseases such as cancer, heart disease and lung-related diseases due to smoking complications.  

“The fact is many cancer patients do not have a history of smoking, and even rarely smell cigarette smoke in their daily lives. So, how can their condition and experience related to cancer be explained?”

He added that Khairy had failed to consistently prove that cancer is caused by smoking habits, and even failed to take steps to establish a research centre or related institution to analyse and research further the detailed data of cancer patients in the country.  

“Therefore, this bill Khairy had proposed does not have a solid basis and what is more important, is that he should not blame other ministers just to vent his frustration.”

The amended bill is expected to be tabled in parliament soon. – November 16, 2023.