Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad told FMT his ministry intends to proceed with the blanket ban which will be enforced beginning next year.
The ban, announced in September, will cover all restaurants, coffee shops, hawker centres and open-air eateries.
The decision sparked an outcry from eatery owners, with restaurant associations representing over 20,000 of them recently denouncing it as arbitrary and illogical.
They said such a rule should be left to restaurant owners to implement.
However, several consumer groups voiced support for the government’s stand, with the Consumers Association of Subang and Shah Alam president Jacob George urging Putrajaya not to give in to “subtle threats”.
“It is clear that these groups are not just self-centred but also selfish as it is the universal right of consumers to have clean air in public spaces.
“There can be no further compromise on the matter,” he told FMT, urging the people to boycott all eateries that encourage smoking on their premises.
Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations deputy president Yusof Abdul Rahman agreed that the government should retain its decision to implement a total ban on smoking at such establishments.
He said this would be good for both the people and the environment.
“The government must be firm on creating smoking-free areas. We have already tolerated too much when it comes to smokers. We need to consider the rights of non-smokers as well.”