Owners of food premises are required to display the standard ‘No Smoking’ sign and also prohibited from providing ashtrays on the serving tables. File Photo
KUCHING: The Health Department of Sarawak is completely prepared for the full enforcement of the smoking and vaping ban in all food premises across the state from Jan 1 next year, said state Health Department deputy director Dr Rosemawati Ariffin.
“The Sarawak Health Department will enforce the No Smoking policy at all eateries beginning Jan 1, 2020.
“Our Environmental Health Officers and Assistant Environmental Health Officers at all the divisions and District Health Officers are ready to enforce the law,” she told The Borneo Post today when prompted for comments on the policy.
Dr Rosemawati said the enforcement will be carried out mainly by the enforcement officers from the state Health Department and authorised enforcement officers from the authorities, such as the various local councils like Kuching South City Council (MBKS), Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) and Padawan Municipal Council (MPP).
Dr Rosemawati, however, did not disclose the total number of officers from the Health Department of Sarawak who will be mobilised for the full enforcement from Jan 1, 2020.
Those caught smoking at food premises can be fined RM250 or face a maximum fine of RM10,000 or jailed for a term not exceeding two years under Regulation 11(1)(d) of the Tobacco Product Control Regulations 2004 (Amendment 2018).
“Smokers are only allowed to smoke at a distance of more than three metres away from the eateries and/or the last serving table of the eateries,” explained Dr Rosemawati.
She said owners of food premises must put up the standard size ‘No Smoking’ sign as stipulated under the Schedule Three of the law.
During the launch of the smoking ban (education enforcement) in March this year, state Health Department director Dr Jamilah Hashim said the standard ‘No Smoking’ sign came with a size of 40x50cm, and that the dimension of the ‘No Smoking’ logo must be 30cm.
Dr Rosemawati said not only are owners of food premises required to display the standard ‘No Smoking’ sign but they are also prohibited from providing ashtrays on the serving tables.
According to her, it is the responsibility of the owner of food premises to ensure that no one smokes in their premises.
“And failure to do so is an offense under Regulation (12)(1)(b) of the same Act, and can be compounded RM250 or up to RM5,000 or an imprisonment of not exceeding one year,” she said.
Members of the public can channel their complaints on smokers who fail to adhere to the regulations via the department’s hotline at 010-8608949.
The smoking ban was enforced on Jan 1 this year in Peninsular Malaysia, while such enforcement in Sabah and Sarawak began from Feb 1 and Mar 1, respectively.
The Ministry of Health later announced a six-month education enforcement for the general public to follow before summonses were issued from July 1.
In April, the ministry announced that the grace period was extended for another six months until the end of the year.