The Health Ministry’s generational endgame (GEG) law has caused quite its share of commotion recently after the Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill 2022 was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday (July 27).
If implemented, the new law will be taking away the rights of those who are born in or after 2007 to smoke tobacco and vape products with offenders liable to a fine of up to RM5,000.
It will also allow the police and the authorities to access your car, phone and house without a warrant if the GEG individual is found with a vape or cigarettes.
The proposed bill has stirred debate as some believe that if not properly implemented, can lead to abuses of power by the authorities.
Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman recently took to Twitter to express his views on the issue and asked whether the proposed law could lead to issue of double standards as well as perpetuate the culture of ‘duit kopi’.
Slammed for appearing to ‘oppose’ the bill
Syed Saddiq’s video did not go down well with some Malaysians as many called him out for politicising what appeared to a public health issue. Some people even accused him of being against the bill.
“No need to spin the story. Enough. You have all the access to ask KJ (himself). This bill is about saving future generations. We have to live first before your rantings to be heard. Your narrative is misleading. Don’t politicise health,” commented a user.
One of his critics is Putrajaya Hospital medical consultant and nephrology specialist Dr Rafidah Abdullah who criticized him for his video.
She asked him and any MPs that plan to oppose the bill to follow her doing rounds at the hospital, presumingly to see the consequences that smoking and vaping has had on Malaysians.
“Don’t guilt trip people who ask for a better law”
Her post did not go down well with netizens who said that she was being unprofessional by trying to guilt trip people into supporting the proposed law.
“Any sane person would support the GEG. But we live in a country already rampant with abuse of power by enforcement agencies.”
“Hence the need to scrutinise a bill that purports to give over-reaching powers of enforcement,” said a netizen.
Another called her out for missing the main point and for looking at it only one one side. “The GEG is good, no doubt, but the implementation, the law itself, we need to examine the powers being given.”
A fellow healthcare worker said, “Your role is to educate without being condescending, lead by being humble and inclusive.”
Meanwhile, Syed Saddiq himself has responded to Dr Rafidah’s invitation to him. “Can do Dr. After the visit, I will also organise for you to meet with victims who have faced abuses of power, who had to extort coffee money and who was locked up for questioning the authorities.”
“I am just asking to re-examine the bill, doesn’t mean that I want people to smoke freely. Don’t guilt trip people who ask for a better law,” he added.
What do you think of Syed Saddiq’s enquiries? Do you agree with him?
Also read: Health DG: Priority Should Be On Public Health, Not The ‘Fundamental Right’ To Smoke
