Materia Medica Malaysiana

Tobacco expo likely to be on

A tobacco expo is likely to be held in Kuala Lumpur in November, although the Health Ministry has told the organisers to “relocate the event outside of Malaysian shores.”
The organisers, who are said to have received approval from Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), have already set up a website on their event.
Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control president Prof Dr Syed Mohamed Aljunid said the expo should be cancelled, as it would only diminish efforts taken against smoking in the country.
He also claimed that the council had received no “solid” response from DBKL to address their concerns about the expo.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek had said earlier that the ministry, although strong in its stand against smoking and did not support the expo, had no power to stop private companies from carrying out such an event.
In a letter to the ministry, the organisers said they had chosen Kuala Lumpur as their “first and only choice” in Asia due to its good infrastructure, flight connections, hotels and the new Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
The organisers also claimed that they were told by DBKL to consult the ministry after submitting an application to it.
The ministry in its reply, however, made it clear that if the expo were to be held in Malaysia, it would jeopardise the Government's image and position on tobacco control and advised them to relocate their event.
Efforts to contact DBKL about the situation have been met with “no comment” from the officials.
The website for the expo says the event is “a unique platform to promote exhibitors’ machinery and services to all members of the tobacco industry.
“Being accompanied by a thought-provoking symposium, Emerging Tobacco Markets 2005 is the Asian tobacco machinery event.”
It also said the expo was closed to the general public.