KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry has presented a cabinet note on the revised Control of Smoking Product for Public Health Bill 2023, yesterday.
Its minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said they had completed the review with the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on the proposed bill and discussed the recommended amendments.
"We have presented the cabinet note for the cabinet to accept the recommendations by the select committee and InsyaAllah (God willing), we will be waiting for the date from the Parliament for the bill's second reading, and then for the debate, winding-up and its approval in Dewan Rakyat."
She told reporters this after launching the Twin Towers Mobile Clinic here, today.
Yesterday, the Hartal Doktor Kontrak (HDK) movement had called on the government to expedite approval of the bill, which included the generational end game (GEG) smoking ban provision.
The bill had been referred to the select committee following its first reading in the august house last June.
If passed, the new law will deal with not only conventional smoking products, but also "next generation" products, including electronic and combustible cigarette products.
Its GEG provision will affect those born Jan 1, 2007 onwards.
Health news portal Codeblue had reported that the revised bill was expected to be brought to Dewan Rakyat on Monday.
Codeblue reported, citing sources, that the amended measure reduced the fine for GEG offenders to less than RM500 while retaining the option of community service.