One of the coffeeshops near Stutong, where no customers were seen smoking at the tables earlier this afternoon.
KUCHING: With the full enforcement of the smoking ban starting today, coffeeshops here are not taking any chances and will abide by the regulation, or at least do their part as not to be penalised, but it is up to smoking customers to comply.
Operators have put up no smoking signs clearly on the walls of their premises and have gotten rid of ashtrays, but, as one of the coffeeshop workers said, it is still a matter of civic mindedness when it comes to the smokers themselves.
“We have already put up signs and do not provide ashtrays anymore. If they (customers) still want to smoke at the tables, there’s nothing much we can do,” a waiter at a coffeeshop near Stutong here told The Borneo Post this afternoon.
Starting today (Jan 1), smokers found puffing away in coffeeshops or within 10 feet of the eatery’s boundary will be issued fines of up to RM250 by the Health Department.
If the coffeeshop is found without a no smoking sign, or still has ashtrays on the tables of their premises, owners could be fined up to RM350.
During The Borneo Post survey, no Health Officers were observed carrying out enforcement, but according to the Health Department, if complainants have photos of the offenders, they could provide it as proof when reporting to the Health Department.
In early 2019, the Health Ministry did provide a WhatsApp number for complainants to send in their complaints directly, but was shut down by WhatsApp for an alleged invasion of privacy.
A customer at an eatery openly smoking in front of a no smoking sign. No enforcement was carried out.
Meanwhile, The Borneo Post did encounter some customers openly smoking at eateries.
However, there were a few who seemed to be aware of the ban, and chose to light up away from eateries.
“We respect the rules and understood the grief of other non-smoking customers. That is why we don’t mind walking away to smoke,” said one of them.
The man, who only wanted to be known as Then, said it would be good if the council or the premise owner could set up a designated smoking zone with ashtrays so that smokers would not indiscriminately throw away their cigarette butts and mess up the area where they smoke.
It would also be good to have a sheltered smoking zone, said Then.
“I understand and respect the (no smoking) rules. If I could, I would quit smoking. But I can’t speak on behalf of other smokers,” he said.
Kuching South City Council (MBKS) will also be playing its part to ensure the ban would be enforced smoothly.
Kuching South City Mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng on Dec 30 last year said he had instructed his officers to identify potential spots within the council’s jurisdiction to set up smoking zones near densely populated eatery areas like Padungan.
“We are actually trying to look into the possibility of setting up smoking zones.
“Because when we ask people to stop their habits, we must also have a place to accommodate them, a smoking area.
“So that’s why I have asked my officers to look around for potential areas near eateries – we will try to set up smoking zones for them,” he said.
Wee also said that even pubs and clubs were not exempted from the smoking ban.
The ban also includes vaping.