Malaysia's Proposed Smoking Ban: Hospitality Industry's Concerns

According to a report by the New Straits Times, representatives from the hotel industry have requested the Malaysian government to consider the impact of their proposed "Generational Equity Guarantee" (GEG) law on the country's restaurant operations.

On February 17th, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced that Malaysia will introduce bold new legislation that will prohibit individuals born after 2005 from smoking, vaping, or possessing tobacco products and e-cigarettes.

We support the Ministry of Health's agenda to reduce smoking in the country," said Wong Toh Hoon, President of the Malaysia Singapore Coffee Shop Owners' Association (MSCSPGA), "but we firmly believe that any new measures should be carefully evaluated for their social and economic impact.

Under the MSCSPGA, there are 43 subsidiary organizations, making it one of the largest trade associations in the country. It has 20,000 members who are coffee shop operators across the nation and employs approximately 500,000 people.

Wong's viewpoint has received a response from C. Krishnan, the deputy chairman of the Malaysia Indian Restaurant Owners Association, who called for detailed research and consultation with retailers and other stakeholders.

Krishnan is concerned that the department may not have enough manpower to control and inspect every tobacco product purchase.

Therefore, as retailers, we are automatically at the forefront of implementing the Silver Entertainment Law," he said. "We should not forget the issue of requesting identification. We are concerned that this could lead to disputes and unpleasant situations in our stores, something any coffee shop owner knows is detrimental to business.