Today is the first day of Parliamentary Session for August 2008. The BN Government has tabled the following Bills for debate (FIRST READING) and to be passed by Parliament.
They are as follows:
1. Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Identification Bill 2008. (Rang Undang-Undang Identifikasi Asid Deoksiribonukleik (DNA) 2008.
2. An Act to amend the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971. (Suatu Akta untuk meminda Akta Universiti dan Kolej Universiti 1971).
3. An Act to amend the Education Act 1996. (Suatu Akta untuk meminda Akta Pendidikan 1996)
Parliament is now debating (second Reading) A Bill “An Act to establish the National Kenaf and Tobacco Board, to make better provisions in respect of the kenaf and tobacco industry of Malaysia, to dissolve the National Tobacco Board; and to provide for consequential and incidental matters.” (Rang Undang-Undnag Lembaga Kenaf Dan Tembakau Negara 2008 – Satu Akta untuk menubuhkan Lembaga Kenaf dan Tembakau Negara, untuk membuat peruntukan yang lebih baik berkenaan dengan undustri kenaf dan industry tembakau Malaysia, untuk membubarkan Lembaga Tembakau Negara, dan untuk mengadakan peruntuk bagi perkara-perkara yang bersampingan dan berkaitan dengannya.”)
I support the Bill but objected to various Sections of the Bill like Section 3 (4) ( d ) (The objectives of the Board are “To promote and develop other economic activities for person involved in kenaf industry and tobacco industry.” Section 4 (d), (e), (f), (h), (j), (k), (o) & (p) and Section 5 (e), (f), (h) (m).
Text of my speech is as follows:
Datuk Yang Di Pertua,
1. Saya menyokong supaya dipergiatkan usaha bagi mengujud dan membangunkan tanaman gantian bagi tembakau di Malaysia yang mana kenaf telah dikenal pasti sebagai tanaman paling sesuai dan berpotensi tinggi.
2. Walau bagaimana pun selain pembangunan Kenaf, Rang Undang-Undang Lembaga Kenaf dan Tembakau Negara 2008 (RUU) akan turut memberi penekanan terhadap urusan dan kepentingan industri tembakau tempatan. Skop yang ketika ini terkandung dalam peruntukan Akta Lembaga Tembakau Negara 1973 iaitu terhad kepada aspek penanaman dan pemprosesan daun tembakau (upstream activities), akan diperluaskan untuk merangkumi kawalan terhadap produk tembakau seperti rokok (downstream activities). Saya tidak bersetuju dengan perluasan skop seperti yang dicadangkan ini.
3. Bahan
YB,
I am a non-smoker but come to accept that smoking is part of life, like it or not.
If tobacco upstream and downstream activities are curbed, Malaysia would lose out an avenue of income. Consequently, we have to import ciggies and lost out on foreign exchange
might as well cultivate, process and market. at least we keep the money within Malaysia. Phillip Morris have a big plant in Seremban and that is one heck of a landmark for that sleepy hollow
Unless we can switch from tobacco to some other high yielding and valuable corp, we might have to persist with this cancer agent
Whether we like it or not tobacco and alcohol contributes to 40% of the taxes. The taxes are already too high and is killing the industry. It should come down, or else people will find alternatives and smuggling will be encouraged.
If this industry falls, 40% of the economy may be jeopardized.
We need some wisdom here, not reckless idealism. The useless and lost fight against drugs and prostitution should be kept in mind. You cannot defeat the will of the people!
Besides as I mentioned before, with the campaigns against smoking, the number of smokers in the US has gone down but the number of lung cancer cases has been going up and up, mostly non smokers. There is NO correlation between smoking and lung cancer. It is simply an aggravating agent.
Instead of banning, this is what wise leaders in a mature society do.
http://www.necn.com/Boston/New-England/100-college-presidents-support-lowering-drinking-age/1219189588.html
100 College presidents from across the U.S. have come together to push for a change to the current drinking laws. They believe that by lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18, they they will be able to reduce binge drinking on campus (and deaths).
Banning and restricting actually worsens the problem. In Switzerland, euthanesia (voluntary death) is legalised. In Brazil, drug usage is being legalised. All across the globe nations are beginning to realise that social problems cannot be eradicated; but it can be be controlled by accepting it.
Malaysia must learn this as it has a third world mentality of ‘this cannot, that cannot, everything haram’.