AUG 19 — Every day about 30 people die a painful death in Malaysia from tobacco-related diseases. And even more will die each day if the tobacco industry is given special privileges to run its business. The Malaysian government currently has put in place tobacco control measures which must be further strengthened. An effective way to do that is to exclude tobacco from new free trade agreements such as the TPP currently being negotiated by the government. Many medical and public health groups have come out in support of this step.
The tobacco industry is the only one opposing this move because it wants to continue selling even more cancer sticks. The tobacco industry had never accepted the fact that 177 countries have ratified the global tobacco convention — the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) — which empowers governments to exercise their sovereignty and do what it takes to protect public health. It is laughable for the tobacco industry to quote the convention. It is really an oxymoron for the tobacco industry to teach us or the government how to interpret the convention.
More seriously, the tobacco industry wants to use the TPP to have the right to sue our government if its profits are affected. This is outrageous and very damaging to Malaysia’s public health.
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