NUTP welcomes reminder on smoking, vaping ban

The Sun

2 days ago

PETALING JAYA: The National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) welcomes the recent reminder issued by Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek regarding the ban on smoking and vaping in schools.
NUTP said it serves as an important alert to all stakeholders, especially educators.
Its president Aminuddin Awang said Fadhlina's statement should not be viewed as a threat, but rather as an effort to highlight existing laws.
'I believe what was said serves as a reminder to all parties not to smoke within school premises,' Aminuddin told theSun when contacted.
'If she had not raised it in Parliament, perhaps many teachers would remain unaware of it. The regulation states that a person can be fined up to RM10,000 or even face imprisonment, but that does not mean the punishment would be (applied) to everyone. It is more of a warning to raise awareness.'
He added that the union has no issues with the statement and hopes it would be taken positively by all teachers and school staff.
Responding to claims that certain teachers smoke in schools, Aminuddin said such allegations are inaccurate and do not reflect the majority of educators in the country.
'To say that teachers are smokers is not accurate. The numbers are not significant and the majority of our teachers are not smokers. Even if a small number do smoke, they do not do so openly in front of students.'
The issue of smoking in schools came into the spotlight following the education minister's statement in Parliament, in which she reiterated the firm stance of the government on maintaining smoke-free school environments under the existing law.
In her written reply in Parliament on Aug 12, Fadhlina said: 'Teachers found vaping or smoking within school premises may face legal action such as fines of up to RM10,000 or imprisonment of up to two years, in accordance with the Smoking Products Control Act for Public Health 2024.'
She was responding to a question raised by Padang Terap MP Nurul Amin Hamid, who asked about measures taken by the ministry to curb the culture of vaping among school students. Nurul Amin had also claimed some teachers vape in public.
This led MCA Education Consultative Committee deputy chairperson Felicia Y.T. Wong to question the necessity of imposing steep fines and jail sentences on teachers found smoking or vaping.
Wong said such severe penalties suggest these measures are the default response to the offences, unfairly targeting teachers who are insufficiently appreciated.
'In the Dewan Rakyat in 2023, Education Deputy Minister Wong Kah Woh reported that 6,394 teachers went on early retirement, an increase from the previous year during which 5,306 left.
'According to the Education Ministry in a parliamentary written reply on June 26 last year, the majority of teachers left early because they were uninterested in their roles,' Wong added.
Several teachers polled by theSun expressed concern that the penalties are too severe, adding that imprisoning educators could create further complications.
'About half of the male teachers at my school are smokers or vapers. If we were all sent to prison, the school would face a shortage and need many replacement teachers,' said a 29-year-old teacher from the Klang Valley, who spoke on condition of anonymity.