KUALA LUMPUR: Business at restaurants has dropped drastically since eateries were gazetted as no smoking zones from Jan 1.
Restaurant associations believe the Health Ministry should conduct further discussions with them to find a win-win solution beneficial to both the operators and the patrons.
Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners Association vice-president Krishnan R.C said trade at eateries, especially those with an open air concept, had dropped more than 35 per cent since the smoking ban was enforced.
The move has also seen some restaurant owners feeling the pinch financially, he said.
“I’m not against the move. In fact, I welcome it, since even before the rule came in place, I had already designated a smoking area for my customers and I was very strict on it.
“It’s just that since the move was officially gazetted, our business had drastically dropped. This could have been avoided with better discussion and cooperation with the ministry,” said Krishnan who owns an eatery in Klang.
“Many Malaysians still don’t see smoking as something which is dangerous and is still a lifestyle. Malaysia lacks the awareness of smoking hazards unlike other developed countries which have the smoking ban in place.
“The ministry should educate the public more on the hazards of smoking before taking such a drastic action which has only gone towards affecting our businesses,” he said, adding that restaurant patrons were still smoking at other locations.
Krishnan said the aim of the government was to get smokers to quit the habit but for this to happen, they had to be educated on the dangers of smoking.
Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma) president, Ayoob Khan Muhamad Yakub said the ministry should conducted more discussions with restaurant owners associations to enhance the regulation before implementing the no smoking laws.
“They did consult us before the ban was put into place, and we submitted our opinion, but nothing has been taken into consideration.
“I believe that if we work together, we will be able to solve issues pertaining to the ban. Businesses are suffering because of this,” he said.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad announced on Thursday that the education enforcement period for smoking ban at eatery outlets would be extended until end of the year to give more more time and opportunity for smokers to increase their awareness on the dangers of smoking.
The proposed extension of the education enforcement period was agreed at a meeting chaired by him on April 16 and attended by 10 other ministries and a representative of a non-governmental organisation, he said in a statement here today.
Dzulkefly said the meeting also decided to apply for an additional allocation to help smokers to quit smoking through the mQuit programme.