THE Muslim Consumers Association Malaysia (PPIM) has urged the Government to implement the Generational End Game (GEG) on alcohol and gambling before banning cigarettes and vaping for future generations.
Moreover, PPIM also wanted to apply the same GEG argument to ban the sale of sugary drinks and ‘fast food’.
As an entity that champions the interest of Muslim consumers in Malaysia, PPIM said it wants the future generation of Malaysians – especially Muslims – not to know what alcohol and gambling are.
“We are an Islamic country. Gambling, nightclubs, massage parlours, alcohol and so on should not exist in our country. The Government should ban these first,” asserted PPIM chief activist Datuk Nadzim Johan @ toqqi. “We know that all of these are forbidden in Islam but they still exist in this country.”
While the Health Ministry (MOH) is trying to make Malaysia the first country in the world to implement GEG by prohibiting those born after 2007 from buying, owning and smoking cigarettes or vape, Nadzim said it is awkward for the country which has a Muslim majority population not to ban alcohol and gambling.
“We should ban all of these from future generations. If it is prohibited according to civil law through policies like this GEG, our country can truly be a Muslim country respected by the world,” he envisages.
“If the Government implements GEG for alcohol, gambling, nightclubs and so on, I am sure many Malaysians will support such measure regardless of race and religion.”
Nadzim stressed that the Government’s primary purpose in implementing GEG is to improve the people’s quality of life by reducing smoking-related diseases as well as the country’s health costs.
He said the same argument should also be used for diseases related to bad habits such as consumption of sugary drinks and fast food.
“The Health Minister cannot be partial and only focus on cigarettes and vaping. Malaysia has the highest rate of obesity and diabetes in Southeast Asia. The Government has to incur high cost from diseases stemming from sugary drinks and fast food,” justified Nadzim.
Based on the MOH’s National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019, there are 3.9 million Malaysians with diabetes. This rate has increased from 13.4% in 2015 to 18.3% in 2019.
“This means that for every five Malaysians, there is one person who has diabetes. This rate is among the highest in Asia and the world,” Nadzim pointed out.
“The Health Minister needs to focus on this matter, too, in addition to only cigarettes and vape-related matters. GEG should also be used for fast food and sugary drinks based on the same argument which is for the well-being of the future generation of Malaysians.” – Oct 3, 2022
Article by: Focus Malaysia
“EXTEND GENERATION END GAME TO INCLUDE ALCOHOL, GAMBLING, FAST FOOD”
https://focusmalaysia.my/extend-generation-end-game-to-include-alcohol-gambling-fast-food/