By Mag Rogers
KUCHING: Despite the smoking ban in Sarawak having come into effect on March 1, most food and beverage (F&B) kiosks at the Waterfront here have yet to put up the ‘No Smoking’ sign.
The popular waterfront attracts not only tourists but locals alike, and naturally, smoking in public cannot be avoided.
Since the ban is to ensure that smoking does not occur at any eatery, the F&B kiosks along the venue are not spared.
“No, we have not put up the sign. We are just waiting for our boss to do so,” said waiter Appy, 20, adding that they were aware enforcement officers would check on eateries statewide.
Appy, who smokes, said he did not mind the ban and even before the ban was enforced, most customers would smoke a few metres away like on the sidewalk nearby.
“We also have to consider babies, children and pregnant women, and the elderly,” he said.
A government servant, Iskandar Mohd Yusuf, 35, who was strolling at the Waterfront with his young daughter, was smoking when approached.
“Yes, I do smoke and since this is an open space, it is quite hard to enforce the ban here.
“I also think that with the cheaper smuggled cigarettes still on sale, it’s even harder,” he said.
A kiosk owner, Laila, 35, welcomed the putting up of ‘No Smoking’ signs at kiosks there.
“The smoking ban does affect my customers, and most of them do not bother and some still light up here,” she said.
She added that she has not put up the sign yet but she would do so as soon as possible.
Laila also wanted to know how to tell her customers off if they smoked near her kiosk.
After advising her to just tell them to smoke a few metres away otherwise both she and her customers could be fined, she nodded in agreement.
Besides enjoying local and western food at the Waterfront, many people go there to engage in activities such as jogging, photography and taking the popular sampan ride.
