IMPLEMENT GEG FOR ALCOHOL, GAMBLING, SUGARY DRINKS AND FAST FOOD

KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM) wants the government to apply the Generational End Game (GEG) for alcohol and gambling before prohibiting smoking and vaping for future generations. For the sake of people’s health, PPIM also stated that the same reasoning should be used to apply GEG on sugary drinks and ‘fast food.’

According to PPIM chief activist Nadzim Johan@toqqi, as an Islamic country, alcohol and  gambling should be the first to be banned as this is forbidden in Islam.

As an entity that fights for Muslim consumers in Malaysia, PPIM also wants to see the future  generation, especially Muslims, not knowing 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. We know that all of these are  forbidden in Islam, but they still exist in this country.

Nadzim said the Ministry of Health 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.

However, it is awkward for a country where the majority of the Muslim population bans  cigarettes and vaping but does not 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.”

“If the Government implements GEG for alcohol, gambling, nightclubs and so on, I am sure  many Malaysians will support it regardless of race and religion,” he said.

Nadzim also added that the government’s primary purpose in implementing GEG is to improve  people’s quality of life by reducing smoking-related diseases and the country’s health costs.

He said the same argument should also be used for diseases related to bad habits such as  sugary drinks and fast food.

“The Minister of Health cannot be partial and only focus on cigarettes and vaping. Malaysia  has the highest rate of obesity and diabetes in South East Asia. This is due to sugary drinks  and fast food and diseases related to this also cause high costs to the Government,” he said.

Based on the Ministry of Health Malaysia report, which is the National Survey Health and  Morbidity (NHMS) 20219, 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 among 5 people, there is  one person who has diabetes. This rate is among the highest in Asia and the world.

“The Minister of Health needs to focus on this matter, too, not only on cigarettes and vape  matters. GEG should also be used for fast food and sugary drinks based on the same  argument, which is for the health of the people and future generations,” he concluded.

For any enquiries, please contact PPIM’s Media Hotline Unit at +60136116666 (Adi). Thank  You.