SO this “progressive” Government is planning to ban cigarettes and other tobacco products for those born in 2005 and after.
I consider this move a cruel and populist one, championed by those who want to make a name for themselves. These folks are looking for easy targets, with smokers being one of them.
Smokers are generally from the lower strata of the society. They have no solid lobby to go against the minister’s announcement, unlike the timber or gambling lobby. Just look at Touch & Go, RFID and alcohol suppliers; no minister would dare touch them!
While this initiative may be a clever way of permanently banning smokers from enjoying their puff for good, it will not prove successful in eliminating smoking. It is just another punishment on those who smoke.
We smokers have borne the brunt of all sorts of punishments from society. High taxes on tobacco products make the prices of cigarettes unaffordable. Even limiting public places for smokers is not enough to appease these narcissistic bunch of do-gooders. Now they want to ban smoking altogether.
Tobacco is a favourite punching bag because the do-gooders are cowards who dare not take on the promoters of products and services that constitute real threats to our wellbeing.
Before you start your tirade about the dangers of smoking, let me tell you of many other things far more dangerous than tobacco.
Climate change is profoundly worrying and endangers life. Rising sea levels are deeply worrying. Floods caused by massive deforestation is hazardous to life.
What has this “progressive” Government done so far to arrest the dangers listed above? Nothing!
Tolled roads that go on and on for decades is a theft of public coffers and is a danger to the country’s welfare. Gambling is also a danger to public health. More people die from COVID-19 or kill themselves because of gambling than all types of tobacco addictions combined.
If you want to do good, try reforming those pressing and difficult areas. Stop picking on tobacco.
Today the price of cigarettes is sky-high. It is unaffordable to most smokers yet it does not stop them from smoking. They rely on smuggled cigarettes, like Saat, John, Premium Nusantara, Gudang Garam etc.
These brands may be cheaper at RM6 to RM10 per pack, but it has a lot more toxic and carcinogenic content. Smokers know cheap tobacco will kill them faster but they have no choice because they like to smoke.
Smoking is “comfort” for ordinary people
How is this country better off with unrealistic price of cigarettes? Smugglers have a great time profiting from the smuggling and corrupt enforcers have a great time making side income. The narcissistic do-gooders are happy that the masses suffer and cannot respond to the punishments.
Unfortunately for me, I was born to a family of smokers. I smoked, and so did my late father, mother, and many others in my village.
Five of my aunts – my mother’s sisters – were all smokers. Smoking are small pleasures to them, especially after a meal and while enjoying very sweet “kopi O”.
In my father’s later years – he passed away at 85 – he told me that his health would be better if he had not smoked too much but he had no regrets because it was enjoyable to him.
Who am I to say that he could have lived a few more years if he had stopped smoking? It was his life. Can we not grant him the small pleasures because we are so obsessed with doing so-called “public good”?
Many of the fishermen in Bachok smoke to dull the pain of not having a good catch after a long day at sea. Paddy farmers had to endure the heat and reap the minimal harvest when the season was not in favour of a good crop; only smoking could relax them a little. Nowadays, the work of planting and harvesting is done by the Bangladeshi workers.
Smoking is a small pleasure for the poor masses. They do not have the satisfaction of looking at their RM300,000 clothing, wrist watches or drive fancy cars. They cannot afford overseas holidays.
Society must not forget that the rich and the elite have their fun and games, which bring joy that is unavailable to the masses.
Perhaps these are the reasons I am biased and support fair treatment for smokers.
We just want to be treated fairly. We accept that public spaces need to be limited to smokers, and that the price of cigarettes must be a deterrent to new smokers.
Some people quit smoking in their later years due to health reasons. The Government should trust people to do what is good for them. There is no need to manage every bit of people’s lives. There is no need to go overboard and punish smokers at every turn.
Give Caesar what is due to Caesar. Let the masses have their daily puff undisturbed. – Jan 31, 2022
Datuk Zaid Ibrahim is a former law minister.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
