IPOH: From June 1, smokers caught lighting up at any of Ipoh’s 50 state and public parks can be fined up to RM5,000 or face two years jail.

The announcement by the Perak Health Dept follows an announcement on the same subject by the Health Ministry earlier this month.

The state Health Department is currently conducting an awareness programme called ‘Educational Enforcement’ at its public parks, before the full enforcement takes place.

The educational rounds which began at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Recreational Park, was led by the state Health, Public Transport, Non-Islamic Affairs, National Integration and New Villages committee chairman Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon, who was accompanied by state Health Department acting director Datuk Dr Rahimi Goon.

The programme included distribution of flyers and explaining the directive to members of the public.

Mah also briefed park-goers on the areas that are deemed as no-smoking zones including pedestrian walkways, fields, playgrounds and game courts. He said the awareness programme would be conducted for three months.

“Anybody who fails to comply with the ban on smoking in public parks, state parks or national parks can be compounded a maximum RM5,000 or face two years imprisonment,” Mah said, adding that more than 50 public parks have been gazetted as no-smoking zones in Perak.

He said that last year, a total of 1,396 compounds worth RM319,300 were issued to those who were caught lighting up at designated no-smoking zones.

Park-goer Muhammad Zailan Sidek, 33, agreed with the new regulation to gazette the public parks and state parks as no-smoking zones.

“It is a good move as the public park is always full of children. “The ban would prevent them from inhaling secondhand smoke,” he said.-nst