It is disappointing that the Minister of Local Government Dr Sim Kui Hian chose to start the new year to play politics over the health and safety of our fellow Sarawakians in choosing to put off the ban on smoking at eateries that will be enforced nationwide from tomorrow.
The ban will be enforced according to the Control of Tobacco Products Regulations(amendment) 2018 where all eateries, whether air-conditioned or note will be no smoking areas in Malaysia.
I am all for the autonomy that we have in Sarawak and have even advocated for our local government regulation 1963, and local authority ordinance to be used with regards to the recommendations to provide a guideline on road signs next year to promote the use of Bahasa Malaysia. However, when it comes to policies that are beneficial for the State and also the safety and health of our people, the usage of such autonomous powers to block it is counterproductive and to a certain extend an abuse of our powers.
This smoking ban at eateries will help reduce the adverse impact of secondhand smoke and will help improve the wellbeing of Malaysians as a whole. In Sarawak itself, based on the National Health Morbidity Survery, there is an increase of the prevalence of smokers from 22.3% in the year 1996 to 25.4% in 2015. This much higher than the national prevalence at 22.8%.
What is even more worrying is that the problem of smoking among school students in Sarawak is one of the highest in Malaysia at 19.6% compart to the national average of 11.5%. 65% of these students started smoking as early as 14 years old. In Sarawak, lung cancer is the 3rd highest form of cancer and 85% of such cases are due to the smoking.
That is why I agree that this matter should be considered under public health for the good of the people here in Sarawak. The fact of the matter is, the Federal Ministry of Health has already expressed their intention of imposing the ban since May of this year. From the official statement by MoH, they have conducted more than 60 consultative meetings and briefings involving all the respective States on the matter.
That is why for Dr Sim to bring up the matter now and justifying his attempts to delay on the autonomous powers we have is unreasonable, detrimental and merely opposing for the sake of opposing. He had more than 7 months since to discuss with his own relevant authorities and ministries to implement this policy, but yet only chose to have that meeting only on the 9th January 2019. This either shows how he is either playing politics in delaying the matter, or do not take importance on such matter even though it involves public health.
The reality is, this policy is not a new issue in Sarawak and is going to be implemented by DBKU effective 1st January 2019. The Kuching North Datuk Bandar has recognised the importance and benefits of such policies and gone ahead to implement it without any delay for the benefit of the people.
Thus I encourage Dr Sim Kui Hian to not delay in adopting policies that is good for the people of Sarawak and not just oppose for the sake of opposing. Our autonomy is there to safeguard our interest, and not to be used just as a show of power against the interest and detriment of the people of Sarawak.