PETALING JAYA: Smokers are persistently lighting up in restaurants and other prohibited areas, undermining Malaysia’s tobacco control efforts, with anti-smoking advocates pointing to weak enforcement and poor leadership by example as key factors behind the problem. According to data from the jomlapor.com portal, more than half of the 8,000-plus smoking offences reported were about people smoking in prohibited areas. “We have witnessed many top officials lighting up openly and this is a bad image for the anti-smoking stance the government promotes. Staunch anti-smoking advocate Molly Cheah said that while the law clearly spells out smoking and vaping prohibitions, the measures are ineffective without strict enforcement. She added that restaurant owners and their staff should be firm in ensuring diners do not smoke on their premises.

Source: The Star March 10, 2026 05:10 UTC