IPOH, Jan 10 — One week into the implementation of the smoking ban in eateries, members of the Malaysia Singapore Coffeeshop Proprietors’ General Association have reported a drop of at least 20 per cent in business.
Its president Datuk Ho Su Mong said customers no longer hang out at coffee shops and would rather have takeaways to eat where they can light up.
“Our members have complained that their shops are very quiet now since the ruling’s implementation,” he told Malay Mail, adding that the association has about 20,000 members.
Ho said there is still a lot of confusion on the three-metre ruling smokers have to abide by if they want to light up.
“Smokers are asking if the three metre is from the shop or from the nearest table. What about coffee shops with al fresco settings?” he asked.
He added members also had to put up with customers who refused to stub out.
“They will scold our workers with vulgar words when asked to put away their cigarettes,” he said, urging the authorities to put up designated smoking areas with proper disposal bins for cigarette butts.
Concurring with Ho, Restoran Ipoh Raya DR owner Zainal Abidin Mirrah Maidin said the government should conduct a thorough study, including the consequences restaurant operators would face, before implementing the ban.
“Our business has dropped. We are seeing less customers since the ban took place. We also lost some of our regular customers,” he said, sharing his observations after the smoking ban.
Zainal Abidin said there was no need for such a ban as non-smokers can always choose to sit away from smokers.
“Most eateries have two areas in their premises, one is closed and the other is open. The closed area is always for non-smokers. There has never been an issue of people smoking in a closed environment.
“Even if some restaurants don’t have a closed environment, the restaurants can set up tables in the corridors or road near their restaurants for customers to smoke. The current three-metre rule to puff do not make much different as the distance for the corridors or road which the tables can be set up is roughly the same,” he said.
“While we support the government’s initiative to help non-smokers, there are also people who want to smoke and consideration should be given to them too,” he added.
The Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association secretary Habibur Rahman Shahul Hameed also said businesses have suffered a slight drop, but he believed that the situation will improve.
“We may have lost the smoking customers, but now more families are dining at our restaurants with their children as it is smoke-free.”
He added that with the implementation of the ban, workers also need not spend so much time to clean up the restaurant area.
“Previously, our workers need to sweep the floor every 30 minutes as customers would throw their cigarette butts onto the floor. Now with the ban, workers only need to sweep once every half day,” he added.
Since January 1, smoking in public places such as restaurants, including those in open air, has been banned.
However, the Health Ministry is giving a six-month grace period to restaurant operators and their patrons, and will start issuing fines and compounds from July 1.
Anyone found guilty of smoking in prohibited areas may be fined up to RM10,000 or jailed up to two years under Regulation 11 of the Control of Tobacco Product Regulations 2004.
Premises or vehicle owners as well as operators who fail to display the smoking ban signage may also be fined up to RM3,000 or jailed up to six months under Regulation 12 of the Control of Tobacco Product Regulations 2004.
For the offence of failing to ensure compliance and for providing smoking facilities, they may be fined up to RM5,000 or imprisoned up to one year.
