You Can Discreetly Report Smoking Ban Offenders To The MOH Through This WhatsApp Number
No need for confrontation or phone calls!
By Alyssa J. Oon — 04 Jan 2019, 12:53 PM
The Ministry of Health's (MOH) smoking ban in all eateries has been in full swing since 1 January
The ban covers all restaurants and hawker stalls in Malaysia, including all air-conditioned and open-air restaurants, coffee shops, hawker centres, and street stalls.
While there are no designated smoking areas, smokers are allowed to carry out their habit at least three metres (10 feet) away from eateries.
However, the smoking ban has yet to come into effect in Sarawak, pending a meeting with stakeholders on 9 January.
Over in Sabah, multiple eateries have voluntarily enacted the smoking ban despite contradictory directives from the federal and state governments, reported Malay Mail.
Now, the general public has two ways of reporting errant smokers to MOH
During office hours, members of the public can call 03-88924530 to file their complaints or drop MOH a message on WhatsApp at 010-8608949.
However, if the complaint is made via WhatsApp, take note of these criteria to fulfill
When reporting errant smokers through the WhatsApp line, users will need to include:
- The name and address of the restaurant,
- A photo of the smoker in action within the premise, and
- The time and date of the incident.
Additionally, the public can also report if an eatery did not put up "No Smoking" signs within the premise.
Currently, Ministry enforcement personnel are only issuing warning letters to offenders for the first six months
After the six-month period, anyone found guilty of the offence can be fined up to RM10,000 or jailed up to two years under Regulation 11 of the Control of Tobacco Product Regulations 2004.