335 compound notices for breaching smoking ban issued

KUALA LUMPUR - A total of 335 compound notices, amounting to RM93,350, were issued by Health Ministry (MOH) to individuals and premises owners for various offences under the smoking ban in an integrated operation during checks at 263 premises in the city here last night.

The ministry's Disease Control Division director Datuk Dr Norhayati Rusli said the compound notices were issued for offences under the Control of Tobacco Products Regulations 2004, with 284 of the notices were issued to individuals for smoking in prohibited areas and 28 notices were issued to owners of premises for failing to ensure no smoking activity in the premises "Besides that, 14 compound notices were issued against owners of premises for failing to display the smoking ban sign, seven notices involved the smoking ban on minors and the remaining two against owners of premises for failing to display the sign on smoking ban for minors and without pictorial health warning," she told reporters here last night.

The operation, which lasted for about five hours starting at 6pm, involved the participation of 220 members from MOH, Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (MDTCA), Royal Malaysia Police, Customs Department and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) Meanwhile, during the operation, the Customs Department seized a certain amount of cigarettes, which were believed to have been smuggled into the country, while the MDTCA seized 147 packets of cigarettes under Section 5 of the Trade Description Act 2011.

Besides that, DBKL also issued two compound notices for offences involving employment of foreign workers without valid work permit and one compound notice for operating business without a license. - BERNAMA