Special select committee on tobacco control bill to meet next week

The Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) on the Control of Tobacco Products and Smoking Bill 2022 will meet for the first time next week, says Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

Khairy said the meeting, to be chaired by him, will listen to the views of 12 members.

"If we refer to the letter from the opposition leader (Anwar Ibrahim) to Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, they both agreed (on the bill) in principle. During the debate, I can say, 95% (of MPs) also agreed (with the bill).

"It’s just that we need to refine several provisions, including in terms of enforcement and fines. We can discuss that," he told reporters after an event in Johor Bahru today.

The government MPs in the committee are Azalina Othman Said (Umno), Abdul Azeez Rahim (Umno), Mohd Nizar Zakaria (Umno), Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (Bersatu), Ahmad Fadhil Shaari (PAS) and Lukanisman Awang Sauni (GPS).
 
The opposition representatives are Mukhriz Mahathir (Pejuang), Dzulkifli Ahmad (Amanah), Madius Tangau (Upko), Dr Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen (DAP), Darrell Leiking (Warisan) and R Sivarasa (PKR).

The bill, which was tabled for its first reading in the Dewan Rakyat by Khairy on July 27, seeks to prohibit those born on and after Jan 1, 2007 from purchasing or possessing cigarettes or vape products. 

It aims to prevent the younger generation from picking up the smoking habit, and to reduce deaths caused by smoking-related diseases.