Note: The Prophet and the angels is a sign for us to take a breather from political commentaries. Perhaps for the rest of the year, which will be good for our well-being. We won't be lacking issues to explore: journalism, health, sports, business, books, movies, cycling ...
 |
| Courtesy The Star |
I'm an ex-smoker, so I shouldn't care about the smoking ban at eateries (including open air ones) come the New Year, right? The Health Ministry says it will "help make Malaysia tobacco-free", so that's a good thing, kan?
Nope. On the contrary, I think it's a damn stupid ruling the Ministry is trying to justify with the darndest "make Malaysia tobacco-free" excuse. If you want to make Malaysia tobacco-free, the thing to do is stop the sale of tobacco altogether. Wage war against cigarettes, like we have been waging the war on drugs. Ciminalize smoking and hang the tobacco smugglers.
But the government is not doing that. Why? Because the government makes money from cigarettes. A lot of money. Every year it collects over RM1 billion in cigarette taxes and now that "the government has no money" (or so says the minister Khalid Samad; [refer to the clip in my previous posting h e r e] we can expect it to up the taxes so that it can earn even more.
Well, if it means more government revenue, I say go ahead and collect more taxes. But, please, let's not be hypocrites by like banning smoking at Q Bistro and telling people like me who go there frequently and co-exist with smokers who sit peacefully in their designated smoking area that it will help make this country tobacco-free. Because that's not what you want.
And what good does a smokeless environment do? Just look at the ban on smoking in Parliament. Have that made our politicians cleverer or their debates healthier? If anything, it's the contrary. Again, the antics of Khalid Samad comes to mind. And have you not been paying attention to what the likes of Mazlee Malik and Mujahid Yusuf have been spewing lately?
Not forgetting Yeo Bee Yin, who have refused repeated requests from Lynas workers to visit them at their workplace and choosing instead to write them a most-condescending open letter to employees in this country, telling them that she had it equally tough if not tougher growing up on a farm and that she sympathised with the workers if they lose their jobs because of her crusade for a larger good.
Ah, but I digress ...
Back to the ban. It won't hurt business, says Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye. "I don't see why their business will be affected, as customers go to the restaurant to eat, not to smoke," he said. The eateries are claiming otherwise: the ban will discourage smoking patrons from coming and that will affect their business.
My greatest problem with the ruling is that it makes me feel that we are becoming such a regimented nation all of a sudden. Macam Singapore, pulak. Why can't we leave it to the eateries to decide. Their decision will be dictated by patrons and not by government or politicians. As a regular patron of eateries that have smoking and designated non-smoking sections, I have always found the arrangement a happy one for both. Why fix something that ain't broke?
Plus, the Ministry should focus on bigger and more urgent healthcare issues.
Read also
Latuk O Latuk O Latuk,
ReplyDeleteTime to fire up a vape and puff away while figuring out whether "hypocrisy" applies to a professional shill for the world's worst kleptocrat, who now tries to advise the new gomen on "doing the right thing".
How lah, Latuk?
Ironic kan?
These gahmen people have shown themselves to pass laws for the sake of tokenism of the kind which looks "cool" and makes Malaysia appear to be "up there" with the "progressive" cities in the West but are soft or ignore matters which have a bigger and more real impact on health, the environment and so forth.
ReplyDeleteTake a look at the useless pieces of "community art" in PJ New Town centre and the PJ Liveable Cities Conference crap,
http://www.mbpj.gov.my/ms/mbpj/pusat-media/galeri/pj-livable-cities-conferences-2012
whilst they allow massive high-rise building in Section 52 behind the Jalan Sultan postal depot, along Jalan Utara, in Section 13, along Jalan Semangat and so forth, which will contribute to massive congestion on the roads, especially during peak periods in the morning and evening.
MBPJ comes under the Pakatan state government of Selangor for over 10 years and they have not put a stop to the building of high-rises, yet blame the BN federal government and the former BN state government of Selangor since before the 2008 general elections.
Then look at the development which has continued to be allowed by the Pakatan state government of Penang, despite civil society and concerned citizen's protests, the flooding and fatal landslides which have occurred in the over 10 years of Pakatan state government.
Then there's building of high-rise condos in Taman Rimba Kiara, which DBKL is not trying hard enough to stop.
OK. I am all for propper housing for those longhouse dwellers, so why not build them propper single storey terrace houses on the land where the longhouses are.
On the one hand, the Pakatan state government of Selangor bans free,single use plastic bags and will be banning the use of plastic straws from next year, all in the name of "protecting the environment but at the same time de-gazette forest reserve to allow for the construction of the DASH highway right between the apartments in Damansara Perdana and Mutiara Damansara, as well as de-gazette forest reserve land around FRIM.
They are bloody hypocrites as far as I am concerned.