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Designated Smoking Areas for Some Restaurants

Feb 18, 2024

Some locations may soon have designated outdoor smoking areas similar to those in countries like Singapore.  

The Health Minister says it's considering such a proposal, for places where there are a lot of restaurants situated close together.  

He also insists such a move does NOT mean that the ministry is doing a u-turn on its smoking policy.  

Instead, it's a solution for crowded areas where it is difficult for restaurants to enforce the current 3 metre no-smoking rule.  

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10 areas in Kedah, Penang, Perak and Sabah were under a Level-1 heat alert yesterday.  

According to MetMalaysia, 7 of those areas were in Kedah, namely Langkawi Island, Kota Setar, Yan, Pendang, Pokok Sena, Sik and Baling. 

The other areas are Seberang Perai Utara, Penang; Kuala Kangsar, Perak; and Beaufort, Sabah. 

A Level-1 alert is issued when a district records temperatures of between 35-37 degrees Celsius for at least three consecutive days.  

Previously, MetMalaysia said that the final phase of the northeast monsoon will cause hot weather and low rainfall in the Northern Peninsular, as well as Perak, Pahang and Kelantan. 

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Police have slapped a RM300 fine on a driver, who refused to give way to an ambulance along the Pasir Gudang Highway recently. 

Viral footage showed the driver ignoring the ambulance, which had its siren and signal lights on.  

Also, cops in Kulai, Johor are looking for a man, after a viral video showed him clinging onto the back of a moving lorry.  

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And former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra is officially out on parole. 

Thaksin was released from hospital detention six months into his sentence for abuse of power and conflicts of interest.