KUALA SELANGOR: The Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma) has urged all mamak restaurants to stop selling cigarettes on their premises.
As reported by Astro Awani, Presma president Datuk Jawahar Ali Taib Khan said currently, over 40 per cent of the 12,000 establishments affiliated with the association have stopped selling tobacco products.
"Out of more than 12,000 outlets, nearly 40 per cent have discontinued the sale of cigarettes.
"A restaurant in Puncak Alam recently received a letter of appreciation from the Health Minister for not selling cigarettes. I believe this is a positive direction for the food industry.
"It's similar to how alcohol, once considered permissible, has seen a decline in sales due to changing norms. If we aim for all restaurants to be halal, then we should also work towards eliminating cigarettes in the near future," he remarked.
He was speaking to reporters after attending the Clean, Smoke-Free Premises (BeBAs) Walkabout Programme in Puncak Alam here which was officiated by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad.
Jawahar expressed some concerns regarding the implementation of The Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852), which he noted includes provisions allowing for penalties against premises that fail to prevent smoking on-site.
"We are a bit disappointed as our authority is quite limited, but we are relieved to have conveyed our views to the Health Minister and his officials.
"I am confident they will come up with a suitable solution. While everything has been gazetted, I believe there should also be discretion exercised by the monitoring officers.
"I hope regular inspections will be conducted at premises to foster a non-smoking culture in our food establishments," he said.