Coffee Talk! Chit-Chat and All That #1

Dear future lawmakers,

The weekly "Coffee Talk! Chit-Chat and All That" is a section of the blog designed by the Committee for aspiring young people like you to have discussions on current public policy issues from all sectors of society. The aim is to ignite your thought process and sharpen your critical thinking skills, both of which are invaluable traits of a policymaker. Participants are encouraged to comment on the post and perhaps even engage in constructive debate with others. We hope this section will benefit you well in preparation for MPPC 2012!

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This week, we will talk about smoking bans. Don't you just hate it when you're in a restaurant enjoying your food and then out of the blue, you catch a whiff of that pungent yet familiar smell of burnt tobacco? Or when you want to enjoy a night out at a cool club or bar but you end out coming smelling like you've just spent your night in a chimney? Alas, the bane of most Malaysians in public spaces.

Here is an article about this week's topic:

Click here for article. 

One can see that the Californian legislature's raison d'etre for enacting this "stupid public policy" is primarily in the name of public health. But is it really an empirically-backed piece of legislation? One lesson to take away from the Californians is that public policies with disputable evidences may not really benefit the public and of course, it just shows your MPs/Councilmen are incompetent.

Having said that, every policy has it's supporter and naysayer. So, looking at smoking bans around the world, namely the UK and the States, is this ban logical in Malaysia? Fun fact: Malaysia has imposed the smoking ban in public spaces since the 1980s. In fact, offenders can be fined up to RM10, 000 for violation.

This humble writer did not know about this up until I started writing this post and I am sure there are some of you who don't either, or at least not absolutely sure about it. Why is this the case - even with the seemingly hefty fine? The lack of enforcement - the legislations Archilles heel.

This prompts one to think why in the UK, smoking ban is working so well while it isn't the case here. Are there cultural explanations to it? Does public education play a part? Would a heavier fine do the job? Or that you think that we should not even devote our energy and resources into this topic because it doesn't really bother us *that* much?

Let us know your solution to this pickle! Think about other factors too (eg. human rights?)


Sincerely,
Second-hand Smoker

Registration is Open!

Registration is open! Recruit your team members and fill up the form on our blog. Attractive prizes to be won by you and your team.

We will be posting updates on Twitter, Facebook and our blog. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter (@MPPC2012).

For more enquiries, please drop us a message at icms.mppc2012@gmail.com.

Introduction

After an inaugural year which could never have been more successful, the Malaysia Public Policy Competition is back, determined to be bigger and better! This year, the MPPC will feature an even wider range of seminars and workshops; giving our participants the opportunity to more meaningful and productive interactions with esteemed personalities in particular areas of focus. The organising committee has worked diligently to establish a more holistic debating ground, gathering a panel of the top academics and vocal groups, along with current policy-making authorities of pertinence to engage openly and critically on cases carefully tailored according to feedbacks from past participants. To enable deeper insights into the chosen areas and to facilitate more extensive policy-making experiences, we have also extended the length of the competition to 3 days 2 nights, with food and lodging all covered for; thanks to the courtesy of INTAN(National Institute of Public Administration)! So what are you waiting for?