Malaysian Foreign Minister Fined For Smoking In Any Place

JAKARTA - Malaysian Foreign Minister (Menlu) Mohamad Hasan faces sanctions for being fined for smoking in a cigarette-free area in a restaurant.

"The office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs has been notified of this matter," said Malaysian Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad via his X account, Wednesday, December 18, quoted from AFP.

The incident of the Malaysian Foreign Minister smoking in any place took place in a roadside restaurant in the state of Nine.

Smoking in restaurants and places to eat has been illegal in Malaysia since 2019. The policy was tightened in October this year.

Under Malaysian law, people caught smoking in prohibited areas can be fined up to 5,000 ringgit or about 1,120 US dollars.

The Malaysian Foreign Minister has apologized for smoking in any of these places. He also respects the sanctions given according to the rules of the health authorities whose fines have not been determined.

"If this has become a concern and issue in the community, I would like to sincerely express my apologies," said the Malaysian Foreign Minister as quoted in The Star newspaper.

"I will pay the fine, and I hope the fine is not too high," he continued.

Photos of Malaysian Foreign Minister smoking at the restaurant circulated widely on social media this week and sparked a lot of criticism from the public.