ALL business owners can apply to make their premises a no-smoking area, said Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye.

Lee said the application could be made to the Health Ministry to enable health enforcement authorities to take action against those who smoke near their premises.

“We received many complaints from owners whose premises were either opposite or adjacent to eateries where customers smoked in the vicinity of their premises.

“If the owners of such premises do not want smokers to smoke in the vicinity, the owners can apply to the ministry to designate their premises as ‘no-smoking’ areas, which will enable the health authorities to take action,” he told a news conference after the opening of the Tung Shin Hospital’s Heart Cardiac Care Services Centre in Kuala Lumpur today.

He said more than 100 business premises in Sabah received the Blue Ribbon Certificate Award from the ministry last week after voluntarily applying to declare their business premises as no-smoking areas.

“Hotels and homestays can also apply to make their buildings no-smoking areas,” he said.

Commenting on the enforcement of the smoking ban on food premises that came into effect on January 1, Lee said that enforcement had been effective so far.

“We have not issued any summonses, but we have issued warning notices to those who smoke in prohibited areas,” he said. – Bernama, January 23, 2019.