The anti-smoking Bill, officially known as the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health 2023, is set to be presented for the first reading in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (Nov 28).
It is listed on page 12 of the Dewan Rakyat’s order paper for Tuesday.
A source from the Health Ministry confirmed that the Bill to be tabled will be an amended version with changes and tweaks.
It is anticipated that the amended version may exclude the generational end-game (GEG) element, which sought to prohibit individuals born in 2007 and beyond from smoking or buying smoking products.
The Bill was initially scheduled for tabling on Oct 10 but was delayed at the last minute.
The current sitting of the Dewan Rakyat is expected to conclude on Nov 30.
The Bill was first tabled for its initial reading in June this year before being referred to the Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) for further review.
During the motion to refer the Bill to the PSSC, Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa explained that the purpose is to allow the committee to propose necessary adjustments for the GEG laws.
“The Bill was approved by Cabinet to be presented in Parliament,” she added.
“This first reading shows the government’s dedication to its implementation,” she emphasized.
This is not the first time the anti-smoking Bill has been sent to the PSSC for review and revisions.
The original Bill, initially named the Control of Tobacco Product and Smoking Bill 2022, was first tabled by then Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin last year.
It was later referred to the committee for revisions due to opposition from various lawmakers after its first reading.
