Geg Bill Remember China S Opium Wars Don T Bow To Lobbyists Pn Mp

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A Perikatan Nasional lawmaker has taken a jibe at the government for allegedly bowing to pressure from lobbyists to torpedo the anti-smoking and vape control bill.
Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal asserted that the long-delayed bill must be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat immediately or face the risk of more youth and children getting addicted to smoking and vaping.
“Why is the government allowing the lobbyists to pressure us? The big tobacco (companies) and coffee shop owner associations and all.
“We know that the costs on the country and public health are higher than the tax that will be collected from (the sales) of vape (products).
“Did we not learn from the Opium Wars in China, which started the phrase ‘the century of humiliation’?” he said at a press conference in Parliament today.
Previously, a source in the Health Ministry told Malaysiakini that one reason why the bill has not yet become law is due to pressure from industry players.
Health Minister Dr Zaliha MustafaThe Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill was supposed to have been tabled for a second reading in the Dewan Rakyat on Oct 10.
However, it was postponed to make way for government affairs in Parliament.
Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa has since given her assurance that the ministry will table the bill before this Parliament session concludes on Nov 30.
The highly contentious bill covers several important public health aspects.
One of them is to reintroduce controls over nicotine products including vapes - after the government removed the substance from the Poisons Act in March.
The bill also introduced measures meant to prevent anyone born from 2007 onwards from buying tobacco or nicotine products, giving the bill its Generational End Game (GEG) moniker.
Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King SingMeanwhile, Wan Ahmad Fayhsal also urged Zaliha to rebuke a “twisted” statement made by Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing regarding the link between smoking and cancer.
“In fact, we hope that the health minister will fulfil her promise to table the GEG bill, be it the revised version or otherwise, that is allegedly 'unconstitutional',” he said.
Previously, Tiong had called on former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin to prove that cancer, heart diseases and lung ailments in the country were caused by smoking.
Former health minister Khairy JamaluddinHe also claimed that Khairy failed to provide definitive proof that smoking was linked to cancer during the latter’s time in the office.
This came after Khairy accused several ministers, including Tiong, of blocking the tabling of the GEG bill.
Khairy, the architect of the original bill, said the cabinet's handling of the matter was “absolutely shambolic”. - Mkini

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