Health Ministry to table bill targeting smoking products for public health
The Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill 2023 is set to be tabled today in the Dewan Rakyat by Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa. The bill, which includes amendments and suggestions to cover both conventional and new smoking products, aims to address the growing issue of smoking, particularly among young people.
Dr Zaliha stated that the bill still retains the generational end game (GEG) provision, which affects those born on January 1, 2007, onwards. She believes the GEG provision will help curb the smoking problem and save 2.07 million lives. The new bill, based on recent study findings, adopts a Win-Win Solution approach through collaborative compromise.
Also scheduled for the first reading today is the Capital Markets and Services (Amendment) Bill 2023. During the question and answer session, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail will inquire about measures taken to address bullying in secondary schools and their effectiveness. Datuk Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik will ask the Health Minister about steps taken to promote health literacy among Malaysians, as the country is currently categorised as unhealthy.
Wan Razali Wan Nor will question whether the Ministry of National Unity is involved in monitoring and editing dramas and films to ensure values of harmony are portrayed and sensitive issues involving race and religion are not touched on. The Dewan Rakyat is sitting for 11 days and will conclude this Thursday.
