Search

Majority against smoking ban

Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp
Telegram
Email

KUCHING: Sarawak is the only Malaysian state that will not be enforcing the smoking ban in eateries, be they open air or air-conditioned.  The ban, which was to be nationwide effective today, will be reviewed by the Sarawak government and according to Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian a discussion with all stakeholders on the matter will be held first before making a decision.

A quick street poll by the New Sarawak Tribune with a sample of 50 respondents revealed that a good 62 percent of them are against the ban while 26 percent

are for it and 12 percent couldn’t-care-less.

Among the 62 percent, many disagreed with the ban for political reasons rather than for health or moral point of view.

Businessman Stephen Koh who trades along Market Street said “Sarawak has its autonomous rights and should decide on its own terms. There is no need to follow Malaya blindly, we fully support Datuk Sim on this matter.”

Others were smokers themselves and regarded the ban as extreme.


 ” My customers want to have a quick lunch and after lunch they usually have a smoke so now smokers will stay away from eateries and be at places where they are free to smoke, like at home or in their offices.”


Said trader Mohan Ram Asnani, who plies his trade at India Street, “Smokers have rights too, we are human as well and we know not to smoke near pregnant ladies and children but to stop us having a cigarette outside the shop in the five-foot-ways is a bit too much.”

A coffee shop owner who spoke on condition of anonymity said the ban would have a profound effect on his business.

“My customers want to have a quick lunch and after lunch they usually have a smoke so now smokers will stay away from eateries and be at places where they are free to smoke, like at home or in their offices,” he said.

Some owners think customers may even start carrying packed lunches from home because they feel unwanted or unwelcomed at coffee-shops.

Another respondent, Zaidi Latif, actually compared the smoke from cigarettes to smoke from cars.

“Smoke from vehicles are poisonous or more poisonous compared to cigarette smoke, so are we going to ban cars and use bicycles? he asked.

Those who voted for the ban cited health or moral issues as reasons.  Neo, a businessman in health products at Rubber Road, said that smoking is very hazardous to one’s health, adding secondary smoke can cause problems to pregnant women and children.

He supports the ban because he feels it’s the “right thing to do”.

He thinks that those who are talking about autonomy are right but “they should use other matters to demonstrate our autonomy, this concerns healthy living.”

Alex Sim, a hairdresser at Jalan Rambutan, said he himself smokes occasionally and feels that smokers should be more

considerate.

“We can just get up and go some distance from the people and happily smoke away, what’s the

problem?”

He fully supports the Sarawak autonomous rights and agrees that Sarawak should study the mechanism for the ban but nevertheless expects that Sarawak will impose the ban eventually because it is necessary “to protect the breathing space of others who do not smoke.”

As mentioned earlier a small percentage of respondents were nonchalant and didn’t care either way. All of them were non-smokers and all of them felt that it’s all a storm in teacup.

Said Pung Gek Moi from the Kenyalang Market is  one of the 12 percent: “It is a topic now because people have become too political and whether or not there is a ban, who will do the enforcement?”

She lamented that “even now there are laws preventing smoking in public areas like bus stops but people are still smoking away and no one cares as there is no

enforcement.”

Abang  Iskandar who shares the view of Pung  agreed enforcement will be a big issue.

“We know that the federal government is now withholding funds to Sarawak and should this ban be made, the local councils will need more enforcement and where is that budget going to come from?”

Meanwhile, politician Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum commented that he himself is not a smoker but he understands the plight of the smokers who find it very difficult to get rid of the habit.

He is fully supportive of the Sarawak government’s stand on the issue and thinks that a full ban in “enclosed areas is a must”.

He hoped that smokers will be more considerate and inculcate better habits like not littering all over the place and restrict smoking to open spaces.

“I think people smoking on the five-foot-ways or any open spaces should be okay.”

There are a variety of reasons put forward either for or against the smoking ban in all eateries.

The New Sarawak Tribune believes the government will be engaging stakeholders such as coffee shop owners and will probably end up carrying out the ban eventually but it will be on Sarawak’s own terms.

Download from Apple Store or Play Store.