PETALING JAYA, Jan 2 — It has only been one day since the government banned smoking at restaurants and near eateries, but creative Malaysians are already on a roll sharing memes poking fun at some of the rules and conditions for having a puff in public.

Photos of smokers attempting to comply with the law by using measuring tapes to calculate the three-metre distance between them and a restaurant gave Twitter users a good giggle, especially since many were still in the dark over the specifics surrounding the new ruling.

 

 

 

 

One Twitter user posted pictures of elderly folks embracing their inner lone wolf as they positioned themselves away from the hustle and bustle of the restaurant to light up.

 

Anyone caught smoking in prohibited areas can be fined up to RM10,000 or jailed up to two years under Regulation 11 of the Control of Tobacco Product Regulations 2004.

However, the Health Ministry said it will not enforce the law until July 1, to enable the public to adjust to the ban.

So far though, a large portion of smokers interviewed appear unaware of the ban and the conditions on just where they can puff away in public.

Restaurant owners believe it will take a far longer time than the six-month grace period for smokers to catch on.

A group claiming to represent the rights of smokers says that the ban is unconstitutional and filed an application for a judicial review, naming the Health Ministry as the sole respondent.