Karim: No plans to table bill in DUN on sale of tobacco products

Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah

KUCHING (March 28): Sarawak has no plans to table a bill in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) to prohibit the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products to those born after 2005, said Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

He opined that it is always better to analyse the matter before pursuing it.

“Study the matter first, take the views of the community, religious bodies, schools, or any other related body, then only we will be able to draft it.

“Do not rush into things … You do not need to hurry to table the bill because people have smoked for hundreds of years … we should educate the public not to smoke from an early age. There must be some kind of education so that our children do not become smokers,” he remarked after closing the ‘Meow City Bundle Fest’ at Mydin Bandar Baru Semariang here yesterday.

Recently, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin stated that a bill to prohibit the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products to those born after 2005 will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat in July.

He added that the bill was being finalised by the attorney-general’s chambers (AGC). The Health Ministry later confirmed that the legislation would also prohibit the sale of vape and e-cigarettes to those born after 2005.

“Sometimes what we are worried about is changing ministers. If he (Khairy or KJ) is no longer the health minister, it is possible that the new health minister will not be like that,” said Abdul Karim who is also the Minister of Youth and Sports and Entrepreneur Development.

“I am not saying that I am against what the minister is saying but I suggest that please educate the public first. I discourage people from smoking even though I admit that I am a smoker myself occasionally,” he added.

“From a medical point of view it is not good … KJ has a target group that he wants to be banned from smoking cigarettes. For me, do a proper study,” he stressed.

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