Kuching North City Hall to be smoke-free zone effective Jan 2017

The Kuching North City Hall (DBKU) will be gazetted as smoke-free zone effective January, 2017.

No kidding, as North Kuching mayor Datuk Abang Abdul Wahap Abang Julai today stressed that the 320 licensed food premises will be declared as smoke-free zone and no-smoking zone as the first step for the city to retain its beauty and cleanliness.

He also said that DBKU is ready to cooperate with the Malaysian Health Department to impose a penalty towards food premises owners who fail to abide by the new ruling.

“This new regulation falls under Regulation 12 of Controlled of Tobacco Product Regulation 2004. If occupier of premises fail to comply and allow patrons to smoke at their premises, they can be fined up to RM5,000 or face a year prison,” said Abang Abdul Wahap after the launch of Smoking is Dangerous Awareness campaign and Controlled Tobacco Regulation at Perpustakaan Bandaraya Kompleks Islam here, today.

He added that although the regulation is under the Health Department, response frp, food operators had been lukewarm.