Dr. Murallitharan Munisamy, CEO of the National Cancer Society of Malaysia. Photo provided by NCSM.
Advocates against tobacco have defended the controversial drafting of the "2022 Tobacco Control and Smoking Bill," which was postponed during the last Dewan Rakyat meeting.
Last Friday, 235 healthcare and anti-tobacco non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from across Malaysia expressed their condemnation of the delay in parliamentary voting on the proposed new Tobacco Control Bill at a press conference. The bill, which includes a ban on tobacco for a generation, has been referred to a special Dewan Rakyat committee for further review.
This event has left non-governmental organizations and health activists extremely disheartened, as the bill was drafted based on scientific research recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO)," said Dr. Murallitharan Munisamy, CEO of the National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM), during a press conference held at the Royal Lake Club here.
However, this has faced opposition from some members of Congress who have provided various excuses, ultimately delaying the future health of the people and using it as a bargaining chip.
As a people, we see these actions by lawmakers as a deliberate excuse to reject the bill. Some members of Congress have also politicized this issue without considering the safety and health of the people.
Among the group members who spoke at the press conference were Dr. Murallitharan, Azlinda Baroni from Pemadam, Dr. Saunthari Somasundaram, the president of NCSM, Roslizawati Md Ali, the president of MyWatch, Dr. Afid Awi from IKRAM, and Muhammad Sha'ani Abdullah from Fomca.
The anti-tobacco organization is urging all lawmakers, especially members of the newly formed PSC responsible for reviewing tobacco control bills, to disclose their relationships with tobacco or e-cigarette companies.
We urge them to make a declaration, preferably before joining this committee. If possible, we urge them to make a statutory declaration (SD). Make an SD, place it on the table, and declare that you will not be involved in this industry, whether it be the tobacco industry or the e-cigarette industry," said Dr. Murallitharan.
The Tobacco Bill PSC, chaired by Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, includes over a dozen other members of parliament: Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim (Baling-Umno), Mohd Nizar Zakaria (Parit-Umno), Azalina Othman Said (Pengerang-Umno), Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (Masjid Tanah-Bersatu), Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (Pasir Mas-PAS), Lukanisman Awang Sauni (Sibuti-GPS), Dr Kelvin Yii (Bandar Kuching-DAP), Sivarasa Rasiah (Sungai Buloh-PKR), Dzulkefly Ahmad (Amanah), Madius Tangau (Tuaran-Upko), Darell Leiking (Penampang-Warisan), and Mukhriz Mahathir (Jerlun-Pejuang).
Dr. Murallitharan has addressed concerns raised by several congressional members regarding the potential infringement on basic rights and equality by the excessive enforcement powers outlined in the tobacco control legislation, such as the power to conduct warrantless searches and seizures, access personal data including mobile phones or laptops, detain and search vehicles, and perform body searches.
The enforcement powers outlined in the Tobacco Control Bill do not specify which offenses they apply to; the proposed legislation not only prohibits the sale of tobacco and e-cigarette products to those born after 2007 but also bans those born after January 1, 2007 from smoking, vaping, purchasing, owning, or using these products.
During last week's parliamentary debate on the bill, Khairy agreed to remove the provision on possession from the Generation Endgame (GEG) group.
Dr. Murallitharan stated, "The issue of power is also being questioned until the parliamentarians believe that law enforcement agencies are acting with malicious intent, in order to ensure that all GEG (Generational End Game) groups are detected and action is taken.
He said that Kerry has repeatedly addressed these concerns, but legislators are deliberately "turning a deaf ear" to these explanations.
Public health doctors are urging members of parliament to fulfill Malaysia's obligations under the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), as requested by health activists. This convention is described as a "treaty that reasserts the rights of all people to the highest standard of health".
Dr. Murallitharan has drawn attention to Article 5.3 of the international treaty as a reminder to Malaysia. The article states that when developing and implementing public health policies related to tobacco control, signatory parties should act to protect these policies from the influence of commercial and other vested interests.
Doctor Murallitharan once again calls for the bill to not be postponed until the next scheduled date for debate and voting in October's parliamentary session.
He also listed three key points that make up the basis of the call for action from anti-tobacco organizations towards the PSC: no interference from the industry; PSC members should declare any conflicts of interest (if they exist), or strongly consider creating a SD; and all experts brought to the PSC must not be restricted by an agenda and must be selected based on their relevant expertise.
During last Tuesday's debate on the tobacco bill, several Members of Congress expressed various concerns about the scope of law enforcement powers and the potential issues with implementing a comprehensive ban on an entire generation.
Statement:
This article is compiled from third-party information and is intended for industry exchange and learning.
This article does not represent the views of 2FIRSTS, and 2FIRSTS cannot confirm its truthfulness and accuracy. The translation of this article is only intended for industry exchange and research.
Due to limitations in translation skills, this article may not fully express the original text. Please refer to the original article for accuracy.
2FIRSTS holds the same stance and supports the Chinese government on any domestic, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and foreign-related issues.
The copyright of the compiled information belongs to the original media and the author. If there is any infringement, please contact us for deletion.
Disclaimer
This article is provided solely for professional research, industry discussion, and informational purposes. Any references to brands, companies, products, technologies, or policies are made for factual reporting and analytical purposes only, and do not constitute endorsement, recommendation, promotion, or advertising by 2Firsts.
Nicotine-containing products, including but not limited to cigarettes, e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches, carry significant health risks. Readers are responsible for complying with all applicable laws and regulations in their respective jurisdictions, including age restrictions and access limitations.
The information contained in this article should not be regarded as investment, legal, medical, regulatory, or commercial advice. While 2Firsts strives to ensure the accuracy and reliability of its content, it does not assume liability for any direct or indirect loss arising from errors, omissions, inaccuracies, or reliance on the information contained herein.
This article is not intended for individuals below the legal age for accessing tobacco or nicotine-related information in their jurisdiction.
Copyright Notice
This article is either original content produced by 2Firsts or content reproduced, translated, summarized, or adapted from third-party sources with attribution where applicable. The intellectual property rights of the original content remain with 2Firsts or the respective original rights holders.
No individual or organization may copy, reproduce, distribute, republish, modify, translate, or otherwise use this content without prior authorization. Any unauthorized use may result in legal action.
For copyright-related inquiries, corrections, or removal requests, please contact: info@2firsts.com.
AI-Assisted Translation and Editing Notice
Portions of this article may have been translated, edited, or reviewed with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools to improve efficiency and readability. Due to the limitations of AI-assisted translation and editing, discrepancies, omissions, or inaccuracies may exist when compared with the original source.
Where applicable, readers are advised to refer to the original source for the most complete and accurate information. If you identify any errors or believe that any content infringes upon your rights, please contact us at info@2firsts.com, and we will review and address the matter promptly.
