From June 2017, Anyone Caught Smoking In These Selangor Parks Will Be Fined RM10,000
Attention, smokers!
By John Lim — 01 Jun 2017, 01:03 PM
Smokers, take note. Starting from 1 June 2017, those caught lighting up in public parks in Selangor will risk a hefty fine or face up to two years' imprisonment.
The Control of Tobacco Product (Amendment) Regulations 2017 states that offenders will face a maximum fine of RM10,000 or up to two years' imprisonment, as reported by The Star.
The regulation defines a public park as "an open area for the purposes of leisure and recreational containing soft or hard landscapes, or both, such as pedestrian paths, playing fields, game courts and playgrounds".
The ban includes smoking e-cigarettes as well
The Star also reported that 18 no-smoking signs and 82 buntings have been placed while more than 30,000 pamphlets were given out to the public about gazetting public parks as non-smoking areas.
Open carpark areas are excluded from the ban.
Selangor Health director Datuk Dr Zailan Adnan said the enforcement will be carried out in stages because gazetting a park as a non-smoking area is not an easy task
“To gazette a park as a non-smoking area is a separate process, we need to know how big the park is and where the boundaries are," she said as quoted by the English daily.
She also added these efforts were in line with Malaysia's aim to be a smoke-free nation by 2045.
Currently, 13 parks in Petaling Jaya have been classified as no-smoking zones
The parks are:
- Taman Jaya
- Taman Bandaran Kelana Jaya
- Taman Aman
- Taman PJS 10
- Taman Rimba Riang
- Taman Tasik Komuniti Kelana Jaya
- Urban Park 1, 2, 3 and 4 in Damansara Damai
- Centre Spine in Bandar Sri Damansara
- Taman Tasik Ara Damansara
- Bukit Gasing