KUALA LUMPUR: Not content with the smoking ban at all eateries and restaurants, a lawmaker suggested in Parliament that the country stops importing cigarettes to stub out smoking altogether.

"In light of the government's efforts to ensure non-smokers are free from smoke, why not ban the import of cigarettes altogether so that we can become the first nation in the world to be totally smoke-free so that our people will remain healthy," Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) said when asking a supplementary question during Question and Answer Time in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (March 12).

To this, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the proposal could be brought to the Cabinet for consideration.

"Such a proposal must be considered in its entirety. It could be discussed at the appropriate forum and in Cabinet," he said.

Earlier, Dr Dzulkefly told lawmakers that a total of 22,047 written warning notices were issued since the smoking ban at eateries and restaurants came into force on Jan 1 this year.

"Of this, 20,351 written warnings were issued to premises owners who failed to display the no-smoking warning signs.

"A total of 1,696 written warnings were issued to individuals who were found smoking at the eateries," Dr Dzulkefly said when replying a question raised by Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh (PKR-Ledang).

He said the government is taking a soft approach during the initial stage of the ban rather than an "impose and enforce" approach.

He warned that full enforcement of the ban would be strictly enforced this coming July by 5,008 health officers nationwide.

Although there was initial resistance to the ban, he said it received positive support from the public and civil society.

He said this was seen from the 151,000 signed petition from members of the public supporting the ban.

He added that 30 non-government bodies had also volunteered to assist the ministry in implementing the ban.