THE Parliament might be a smoke-free building, should a consumer activist get his way.

Penang Consumer Protection Society president K. Koris Atan has been lobbying for some time for smoking to be banned in the Parliament building.

He said he has received support from Pakatan Harapan MPs, including Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

“A week before the Dewan Rakyat was dissolved, I went to Parliament to lobby the MPs. I raised the matter with the former health minister and his deputy.

“After PH won, I went back to the pact’s MPs with my proposal. Dr Dzulkefly said he will give his support.

“I also have the support of some 30 MPs,” the former president of the Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control told The Malaysian Insight.

He said making Parliament smoke-free should not be too big a deal as there is already a ruling that no smoking is allowed inside government buildings.

“PH should make this a reality within its 100 days of coming into power… show that it is a great administration.”

In Penang, smoking has been banned on state legislative assembly premises since 2009. Smokers have to exit the main entrance and puff away by the road.

Penang, which was then already administered by PH, is believed to be the first state to declare a state assembly building a no-smoking zone without a designated smoking area.

Koris, who is also Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations vice-president, said the prices of cigarettes should be kept “beyond affordability” to discourage the habit.

“It has been proven to be one of the most effective strategies to deter smoking until now.”

Yesterday, Dr Dzulkefly said the government will maintain cigarette prices despite the zero-rating of the goods and services tax, which comes into effect today.

“There will not be any decrease in prices. This is our commitment to ensure that prohibitive pricing is one of the ways to prevent the use of cigarettes,” he was quoted as saying.

Yesterday – May 31 – was World No Tobacco Day. – June 1, 2018.