THE Health Ministry plans to ban smoking in universities next, said Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah. 

Although there was no timeline set for the ban, he said at some point his year, a ban on smoking in private and public universities would be enforced. 

“We banned smoking in parks in 2015 and (now), we have banned it in eateries. Next will probably be universities. 

“We don’t encourage smoking in schools ever. We want to gazette all universities, private and public, as non-smoking areas,” he said today. 

Noor Hisham said the Pakatan Harapan government also banned smoking within the Parliament area in October last year. 

“We implemented (the ban) in Parliament, and then eateries and perhaps (will) extend it to schools and then universities, probably within this year,” he said. 

Health Ministry Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad had declared the Parliament area a smoke-free zone last year. 

After the ban was enforced in Parliament, an MP and seven others were fined for smoking there.

Each received a compound of RM500 under the Control of Tobacco Product Regulations 2004. Failure to settle the summons could earn them a RM10,000 fine or two months’ jail, or both.

Meanwhile, the smoking ban at all eateries came into force on January 1.

Patrons caught smoking at restaurants could be fined a maximum RM10,000 or jailed up to two years, while restaurant operators who do not put up no-smoking signs could be fined not more than RM3,000 or jailed up to six months.

Hisham said the ban was in line with efforts to emphasise the rights of non-smokers in the country. 

“We start off with eateries as 80% of the public are non-smokers, so, at the very least, they have the right there. 

“Those who want to smoke can, but only at a distance away, otherwise, the restaurant will be full of smoke,” he said. 

Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye had said that patrons could smoke at restaurants provided they stand 3m away from the premises. 

Sabah and Sarawak have yet to impose the ban as they await the decision of their state cabinets. – January 8, 2019.