KUCHING: Creating designated areas for smokers within confined spaces serves as a reminder of the ongoing enforcement of the three-meter ban law regulation.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said the law was enforced in Malaysia in 2019, to which smoking is banned in “any premises, whether inside or outside a building, where food is prepared, served or sold” and “any area within a radius of three metres from any table or chair which is placed for the purpose of preparing, serving or selling food.
“To be honest, this (designated areas) is not unusual, because the law has been enforced since before Covid-19.
“Prior to the pandemic, adherence to regulations was widespread, with smoking restricted to designated areas; however, post-Covid-19, there’s a troubling resurgence in old habits,” he told a press conference after officiating at the opening ceremony of Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office Singapore (STATOS)’s Practice of Gynaecologic Pathology and Cytopathology Conference 2024 at Hilton Hotel here on today.
Dr Sim, who is the Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister, said the establishment of the area proves the law is difficult for the public to comply.
“That being said, it is not new and the establishment of the area is a reminder that the law is still around,” he added.
Earlier reports stated that the Ministry of Health (MoH) will consider providing designated smoking areas outside dining premises, especially for those located in tight spaces.
Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad had proposed establishing special areas for smokers in tight spaces.
“The Health Ministry is considering this. We understand that a three-metre distance from dining premises is almost close to other premises.
“It is not a backward or regressive step. It is to ensure that they do not smoke or violate the three-metre ban that is being enforced,” he said recently.
