KUALA LUMPUR: Coffee shop operators have raised concerns that the government's proposal to ban smoking and possession of tobacco products for those born after 2005 would bite into their business.
Malaysia Singapore Coffee Shop Proprietors' General Association (MSCSPGA) president Wong Teu Hoon said the proposal would not deter smokers since illegal cigarettes are easily available in the market.
Instead, he said, coffee shop owners and other retail businesses would be forced to bear compliance costs if the tobacco product display ban comes into effect.
"These new proposals will not work, given that close to 60 per cent of cigarettes sold in Malaysia are illegal.
"The Health Ministry should focus on stopping illegal cigarettes in the market instead of coming up with new policies that will further fuel illegal cigarettes in Malaysia.
"Eventually, the rate of illegal cigarettes will continue to increase, and our business revenue will be affected.
"Our members are already suffering from the decline in sales of legal cigarettes, as many smokers are turning towards purchasing illegal cigarettes," he said in a statement today.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, on April 20, said the ministry was determined to push through the proposed Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill despite all odds.
The bill is expected to be tabled during the next Parliament sitting in July.
However, Wong said the proposal would burden coffee shop operators, especially when they are slowly getting back on their feet after two years of severe business disruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"It will add complexity to businesses if plain packaging and a ban on the sale of tobacco and vaping products are introduced in Malaysia.
"The responsibility of enforcing this will fall on us, just like when the smoking ban at eateries was implemented.
"We will be the ones doing the ID checks, making the whole process more tedious.
"In turn, the customers will find these checks troublesome and instead turn to illegal cigarettes that are readily accessible and at a much lower cost rather than quitting altogether.
"If the government can stop the illegal cigarette trade with a continued awareness campaign, it will effectively reduce the smoking prevalence in Malaysia," he said.