It is already one of the most talked topics right now but in case you somehow missed it, you can no longer smoke at eateries throughout Malaysia starting from 1 January 2019. The ban not only applies to traditional cigarettes but also includes electronic cigarette (commonly referred to as vape) and shisha.
Aside from having officers doing inspections at various locations throughout the country, the Ministry of Health (MoH) is also seeking assistance from members of the public to further increase the effectiveness of the ban. Among the way that they can lend their hands is by making a complaint directly to the MoH via WhatsApp.
While the original tweet has somehow been removed just minutes after this article goes live, we have a copy of it right here:
Based on the instructions released by MoH, the WhatsApp report must include the name and address of the restaurant as well as the date and time that the offense took place. Additionally, the report must include the picture of the smoker while he or she is smoking within the premise.
At the same time, members of the public can also send a report regarding eateries that didn’t put up any no smoking signs at their premises via the same WhatsApp number. While MoH will only issue a warning notice to smokers and eateries that didn’t adhere to the smoking ban until June 2019, they are facing fines of up to RM 10,000 or 2-years prison sentence once the ban is fully enforced after that.
(Source: Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (the original tweet has been removed). Image: KKM.)
