Malaysian Minister Fined for Smoking in Parliament

Video footage shows Hishammuddin sneaking a puff behind his mask while his colleague, Transport Minister Dr. Wee Ka Siong, was speaking during a parliamentary session. After the video leaked, Hishammuddin apologized on Twitter, promising not to smoke in parliament again. "I apologize, I didn't realize – this is a new habit. I apologize to the Dewan and assure that I won't do it again."

 

In October 2018, former Health Minister Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad announced that parliament would be a smoke-free zone, and in April 2019, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad announced new regulations to similarly control both cigarettes and e-cigarettes. At that time, he stated: "The new legislation will emphasize all regulations and controls regarding e-cigarettes, including sales guidelines."

As a result, Hishammuddin was forced to pay a fine. Typically, anyone violating the regulations faces a maximum fine of 500 ringgit (119 USD), up to 10,000 ringgit (2,387 USD), or a maximum of two months in prison, or both.

 

Reducing tobacco harm remains overlooked

Malaysia maintains a very strict stance on e-cigarettes, and not long ago, Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad even mentioned considering a comprehensive ban on e-cigarettes. He said: "Detailed research is needed to examine whether a complete ban on the sale of e-cigarettes is necessary." He added that the ministry has established a committee to investigate this matter.

 

Meanwhile, about 25% of the Malaysian population smokes, partly due to local legislators' lack of harm reduction and smoking cessation initiatives. Last year, Shadow Finance Minister and former Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin commented on using e-cigarettes as a harm reduction tool. "I prefer harm reduction, which means minimizing negative impacts. The idea is to redirect certain addictions to less harmful, non-lethal behaviors," Jamaluddin said.