Bung Moktar Thinks Smoking MPs Are Not Getting The Same Rights As LGBTs
He also argued that smoking is a human right.
By Jia Vern Tham — 17 Oct 2018, 12:12 PM
Following a smoking ban in the Parliament building, Kinabatangan Member of Parliament (MP) Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin has claimed that the Health Ministry is discriminating against MPs who smoke
Free Malaysia Today reported that he was responding to an incident yesterday, 16 October, where an MP was fined for smoking in the Parliament building.
"We think the Health Ministry is discriminating against smokers. If LGBTs (Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgenders) have rights, why can't smokers?" Bung told Free Malaysia Today.
Bung argued that the Health Minister should have discussed with all MPs regarding the smoking ban before it was enforced
Enforcers from the Health Ministry monitoring outside the now defunct smoking room in Parliament.
Image via MalaysiakiniUtusan Online reported the Kinabatangan MP as claiming that Parliament buildings around the world have designated smoking areas for MPs who smoke as it is a human right.
Nonetheless, Bung denied that he was the MP who was fined for smoking yesterday.
"It wasn't me who was fined for smoking in Parliament yesterday but to me, no matter who was the MP who was fined, it should not have happened," he told Utusan Online.
Health Minister Datuk Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad declared the Parliament building as a smoke-free zone on 15 October
The smoking ban is enforced in accordance with the Control of Tobacco Product Regulations 2004.
It is stipulated under this law that anyone caught smoking in a prohibited area faces a maximum fine of RM500.
Failure in settling the initial fine could lead to an additional RM10,000 fine, or a jail term of two months, or both.