Berani dalam Benar: How the tobacco industry in Malaysia is allowed to mar the Ramadan and Hari Raya experiences

This week saw two "celebrations" of momentous dimensions. One is the Hari Raya Puasa after a month of fasting in Ramadan for Muslims. It is an obligatory tenet aimed at bringing the act of humility deeply into the meaning of life among fellow humans, not limited to just the Muslim Ummah. Indeed, in realising a just, fair and humane community throughout the world, in fact, the entire planet and universe.

The Covid-19 pandemic has clearly underlined how imbalanced the state of world affairs is, let alone in terms of the cosmological dimensions - both the macro- and micro-aspects. Yet, the deep disparity and discrimination remains very much alive, with Asia facing some of the worst experiences globally whereby poverty rules for many decades on end. Reportedly, it worsened during the pandemic with many millions more joining the bottom of the pyramid, regardless of the conventional geo-political divide.

Hence, the Hari Raya festivities often symbolise the (re-)awakening of the true spirit of humility through the act of sympathy, empathy as well as compassion is a major point of departure. These four values are increasingly being recognised as essential for the existential survival of the human species, in fact the non-humans too!  Notwithstanding, plants and other types of vegetation into the future. Meaning to say that the appropriate values-based lifestyle must be internalised, practised and realised impactfully on a daily basis without fail. The month of Ramadan is one concrete example to ensure that things are rooted throughout the globe cutting across all forms of human-made barriers! The outcomes are immediately discernible by sharing and collaborating in the interest of the larger community worldwide for the benefit of humanity. Especially by putting “right” the avoidable imbalances with the hope that it will snowball into a sustainable way of life. Simply put, the embedding of values starts with a strict principle of ethics as well as morality that regard all forms of lives as mercy to the worlds!

Based on this, the second reason for the celebration is set to recognise the banning of the “display of smoking products” as announced by the MoH, of late. Unfortunately, it is short-lived. Held a day after the Hari Raya, it aptly coincided with April's Fool Day on April 1st, or better called as Hari Raya Vape! Why? This is because it marked another "momentous" turn of similar event some three years ago, when vape in the liquid as well as gel forms ladened with nicotine are allowed to be sold freely in the open market. Accessible to all, high and sundry, notably those below the age of 18 years. All along, like cigarettes, they were kept under the Poisons List of 1952 until the tragic April's Fool Day of 2022. So, with the Raya celebrated just a day before, the use of nicotine-ladened vapes by children "addicted" to the product found a new "legal" status on their Hari Raya list of what to indulge in. Seemingly, the Ramadan intense training to restrain from bad and unhealthy habits is totally lost, reducing the celebration to a victory that never was. In stark contrast, it is a sure failure thanks to draconian decisions that the then MoH took, and fully endorsed by the Cabinet of the day. The rest are hopeless memories of how the health of youth in Malaysia are being set aside unlike in several of committed ASEAN neighbours, especially now that Malaysia is supposed to lead as the Chair. What a shame it is, given the poor leadership of not walking the talk of SCRIPT!

But that is not the end of it all. The “poor” (rather ‘hypocritical”) leadership becomes full blown on the very day of the 3rd anniversary, April 1st, 2025! As mentioned, this time it is supposed to see the "display of tobacco products" being banned in all public places like in many other countries years before.  Despite the MoH claims that all preparations to execute are ready to go, meaning there will be less, if not "zero visibility" of tobacco/nicotine-based items "targeted" to the vulnerable, namely, those below 18 years – it is suddenly revised! The same victims of the April's Fool joke of three years ago are ridiculed yet again, when the rug was once again pulled from underneath at the eleventh hour! This time under the watch of the new MoH - repeating almost exactly what the predecessor has "successfully" done without any qualms! In no uncertain terms, the U-Turn decision negates the MoH earlier media statement (March 24) that more 51,000 outlets involved in the prohibition of the display of smoking products at the sales counter under Act 852, is effective from April 1, 2025. It further claimed that MoH is to ensure that the Act is enforced, including through education and advocacy as an on-going measure in line with the newly enforced Smoking Control for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852). It aims to regulate the sale and promotion of tobacco products and e-cigarettes (including vapes) in the country. This includes the registration of smoking products, packaging and labelling regulations by product, and sales control at counters.

The deadline for full compliance is now revised to October 1 on the pretext to learn from other countries despite acknowledging earlier that MoH is all prepared to go! The annoying attempt to deceive the public once again with such a lame excuse is just disgusting! Clearly Rule 6 of the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health (Control of Sale) Regulations 2024, which prohibits the display of tobacco products at sales counters, was initially to be enforced from April 1, assuming all the lessons to be learned have been take care of following the enforcement of the Tobacco Product Control for Public Health Act 2024, along with its related regulations and orders, beginning Oct 1, 2024.

In short, the Hari Raya celebration has been intentionally marred by the same April’s fools who have no regard to its sanctity in relation to Islam as the nation’s official religion. And almost instantly sold-out to the unethical tobacco industry, the very noble aim of Ramadan in nurturing righteousness and piety as a way of life. Hopelessly, it is cakap tak serupa bikin all over again!