KUALA LUMPUR: A statement by PKR's Sungai Buloh member of parliament Datuk R. Ramanan, in which he compared voting rights to granting youth access to smoking, has sparked criticism.
Former Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin shared a news report on his Instagram story today featuring Ramanan's quote: "youths are allowed to vote, why not let them decide on smoking themselves?"
Khairy, who played a key role in advocating for the Control of Tobacco Products and Smoking Bill 2022 and the Generational End Game policy during his tenure, added the caption, "I really should have kicked your a**".
The bill is now known as The Control of Smoking Product for Public Health Bill 2023 and is scheduled to be tabled in Parliament on Monday, June 12.
Ramanan when met in Parliament today openly objected to the bill, even before its planned tabling, saying that it would take away the right of the people to choose.
"I'm not saying that it is the right thing to allow the next generation to smoke, but it should be a choice for them, and not something for us to take away (from them)," he told reporters at the Parliament building today.
He said the government even pushed to give the younger generation the right to vote at 18, but prohibited them from making their own choice when it came to smoking.
"You give the power to 18-year-olds to decide the fate, future and the government of this country, but you don't feel they are responsible enough to decide if they want to smoke."
Earlier, Kinabatangan member of Parliament Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin lashed out at Khairy for accusing him of being an "enemy to public health".
Bung said he would reveal what Khairy was "smoking" in Parliament next week, when the bill is tabled.
The Health Ministry is seeking to table the bill, which will include the generational end game smoking ban provision.
The first version of the bill was first tabled in Parliament in July last year, when Khairy was the health minister.
It was referred to a parliamentary special select committee after the bill met with criticism for being "too harsh".