In recent years, Malaysia has taken significant steps to curb smoking in public spaces, with a particular focus on eateries.
The smoking ban in restaurants, first implemented in 2019, aimed to create healthier environments for diners and reduce exposure to secondhand smoke.
While this law marked a major shift in the dining experience, some restaurant owners are going above and beyond to support the anti-smoking initiative by not only enforcing the ban but also ceasing cigarette sales entirely.
Why some mamak owners are opting out of tobacco sales
Ubayathullah Yunus, the owner of the Klang Valley chain My Nasi Kandar, believes that selling cigarettes contradicts the purpose of the smoking ban.
“Since the anti-smoking law is already imposed on the eateries, there’s no point in selling cigarettes. Why would one sell cigarettes if their customers are not allowed to smoke in the restaurants?”
He questioned the rationale behind selling cigarettes when patrons are not even allowed to smoke in the eateries.
His decision to halt cigarette sales aligns with a recent proposal by the Malaysian Indian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma), which suggested that all mamak restaurants stop selling tobacco products, reported FMT.
Jawahar Ali Taib Khan, president of Presma, highlighted that about 40% of the 12,000 eateries in the association have already ceased selling cigarettes.
Ubayathullah has been among those leading the change, having stopped selling cigarettes in his six mamak branches since the smoking ban was implemented in 2019.
‘It’s not profitable, anyway’
He also shared that cigarette sales weren’t particularly profitable, with slim margins of 20% despite generating around RM500 in sales per day.
‘They would question why we sell cigarettes in the first place‘
Azrin Anver Ali, another mamak restaurant owner with five branches in the Klang Valley, echoed Ubayathullah’s sentiments. For Azrin, enforcing the smoking ban becomes much more straightforward when the restaurant isn’t selling cigarettes.
“If we want to control smoking in restaurants and remind customers about the ban, we have to stop selling cigarettes first. Otherwise, they would question why we sell cigarettes in the first place.”
Azrin took the step to stop selling cigarettes last year and urged other restaurant operators to follow suit.
Religion perspective
This move is not just about law and profit margins—there’s also a moral aspect. For Restoran Hakim’s owner, Hakimsa Abdul Karim, the decision aligns with his religious beliefs, as smoking is considered haram in Islam.
“The religion says it’s wrong, which is also one of the reasons I stopped selling cigarettes in my premises, so I have no problem supporting the proposal.”
