SHAH ALAM - Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan has apologised following the circulation of a picture showing him smoking at an eatery.
He confirmed receiving a notice for the offence handed to him by a Seremban health officer.
"I will pay (the fine). Hopefully, it’s not too much. I couldn’t go back to Seremban, so the officer met me here (in Putrajaya) because tomorrow I have to travel to Bangkok, Thailand.
"I received the notice and it will be submitted to the Attorney General’s Chambers to determine the fine amount," he said during a humanitarian aid contribution programme for Palestine under the Jordan Hashemite Government initiative in Putrajaya.
A photo on the @MsianInciter social media account recently went viral, showing an individual believed to be Mohamad holding a cigarette among a group of men.
The account alleged that the Umno Deputy President was smoking at an eatery during a visit to his constituency.
Mohamad apologised to the public if the issue caused concern.
Earlier, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad informed that enforcement officers from the Seremban District Health Office were instructed to meet Mohamad to issue the notice for the offence.
He also said no one shall be exempted from the law under the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 for smoking in restaurants.