“We felt the previous administration tried to bulldoze the Generation End Game (GEG) bill through and that there was insufficient engagement with stakeholders,” said Petaling Jaya Coffeeshop Association president Keu Kok Meng.
“We hope that this time around, in line with the Malaysia Madani concept, the government will engage stakeholders and listen to their concerns, especially how GEG affects businesses.”
Last month, health minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the ministry planned to retable the GEG bill “in the near future” so that it could be enforced in 2024.
She said her ministry had reviewed the bill and took into consideration the recommended amendments by the Parliamentary Special Select Committee last year.
The GEG bill seeks to ban the use, possession and sale of cigarettes and vape products to those born after 2007.
Keu, whose association represents some 500 businesses, said the government needed to engage stakeholders on what its “version” of GEG looks like.
“Where coffee shops are concerned, the sale of cigarettes is a source of income. If the government implements a policy that results in us losing revenue, it should explain how we will benefit.
“The authorities have yet to resolve the illicit cigarette problem. Some 60% of cigarettes in the country are illegal. If GEG proceeds, legitimate, tax-paying businesses will suffer.”
Keu said there were many ways the government could curb smoking aside from prohibitionist measures.
GEG flawed
Meanwhile, the Center for Market Education (CME) said the government would be making a mistake in pushing through the GEG especially in its current form as it ignored the concept of harm reduction.
It said prohibitionist policies have been proven to be ineffective, and that if the GEG bill is passed, it will only worsen the illicit cigarette trade.
According to reports, Malaysia is the world’s largest market for illicit cigarettes, with some 57.7% of cigarettes in the country being illicit cigarettes.
The prevalence of illicit cigarettes costs the government an estimated RM5 billion in tax revenue.
“If the government wants to curb smoking, it should look at harm reduction strategies as prohibitionist approaches just do not work,” said CME in a statement to FMT.
CME said developed countries that had used harm reduction strategies had seen success in their bids to help smokers quit.
“Government policies should be grounded in science, data and realities on the ground. In the case of GEG, it should be driven by health and economic studies.”
CME said this was why the government should undertake a holistic review of the policy in line with growing empirical evidence on harm reduction and engagements with all relevant stakeholders.
“Otherwise, it might end up doing more harm than good if it proceeds with the implementation of GEG.”