Malaysia’s Foreign Minister, Mohamad Hasan, is set to face a fine for smoking in a non-smoking area, following an incident at a street-side eatery in the state of Negeri Sembilan, Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad confirmed on Wednesday.
Earlier this week, Dzulkefly shared a photo on social media showing Mohamad Hasan smoking at the eatery, a violation of Malaysia’s smoking laws.
Smoking in all eateries and restaurants has been banned since 2019, with even stricter regulations introduced in October this year.
“The Foreign Minister’s office has been notified about the incident,” Dzulkefly wrote on social media platform X, adding that Mohamad Hasan himself expressed his willingness to accept the fine for the violation.
According to Malaysian law, those caught smoking in prohibited areas can be fined up to 5,000 ringgit (approximately $1,120).