KUALA LUMPUR: Enforcing the smoking ban in restaurants has been an uphill task for many eatery owners as some customers simply ignore the law, said a prominent restaurateur.
"At one of my shops (in Kuala Lumpur), some customers complained to my staff that a group of foreign students were smoking. But they (the smokers) just wouldn't listen," said Datuk Jawahar Ali Taib.
Jawahar, who heads the Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association, which represents 3,500 restaurant operators, said families did not like dining in premises where their children were exposed to cigarette smoke.
"This is a big problem we are facing," he told the New Sunday Times.
He said while they did lose some customers from advising them against smoking, the impact was minimal.
What was more important, he said, was compliance with the law.
"Everyone must comply, not just for legal reasons but also as a matter of respect for public health," he said.
Jawahar called for more effective enforcement targeted at smokers rather than restaurant owners as they could only "advise" customers.
"What can we do? We don't have any rights (to enforce compliance), we can only advise customers that they cannot smoke within the premises," he said.
He also said enforcement officers needed to carry out more regular inspections.
"In Putrajaya, they come quite often. I can see them at least twice a month, but in other areas, not very frequent," he said.
Some smokers who spoke to the NST said they believed the problem was that those who defied the ban did not think they would get in trouble.
"When you're at a restaurant and you see another person smoking, you'd join in. And this has happened one too many times. Why? No enforcement," said Shukry, who preferred anonymity.
He said even if the government increased fines for smoking, it won't help curb the problem as some would simply refuse to pay.
Another smoker, Nina (who also spoke on anonymity), said she witnessed many smokers ignoring the ban. "I've also seen people light up in restaurants and the operators don't do anything about it."
She called for stricter and more regular enforcement, as well as higher fines.
Fariz (not his real name) said he had not seen any smoker being compounded since the ban was enforced.
He felt there was not enough enforcement as many people continued to smoke in restaurants. "These people flout the rules without consequences and this emboldens them to continue doing so," he said.