Malaysia: PPC Wants Power to Enforce ''No Smoking'' Law

Source from:  New Straits Times (my)  02/25/2013

PENANG Port Commission (PPC) is planning to propose to the state Health Department to empower it to fine those caught smoking at the designated non-smoking areas in its ferries and premises.

PPC occupational, safety, health environment manager C.K. Manoharan said they were now at the internal planning stage, discussing the conditions and requirements for them to obtain the power.
 
"We hope that if we can fine those caught smoking, it will help us to make our ferries and premises smoke free, on top of the existing weekly checks by the Health Department," he said.
 
He said the commission will be submitting their proposal to the Health Department and other authorities after obtaining the greenlight from their board.
 
It was reported last month that the designated smoking sections inside the ferries would be converted for other uses, with some of them turned into stalls selling snacks.
 
However, the change would take place gradually as the removal of the smoking lounges could only be carried out when the ferries are docked. In the report, PPC ferry services chief Fisnol Ainon Mahmud had said this was because converting the smoking lounges for other uses would involve steelwork and could not be done while the ferry was in operation.
 
He said out of the eight PPC ferries, six were running and two were docked.
 
Recent checks by Streets found out that despite "No Smoking" signs on board the ferries, people were still smoking.
 
Previously, the passengers were allowed to smoke on the upper deck of the ferries. Enditem