Antismoking activists seek to thwart international tobacco fair
Antismoking activists seek to thwart international tobacco fair
Sean Yoong, Associated Press/Kuala Lumpur
Activists are protesting plans by the tobacco industry to stage a regional marketing conference in Malaysia, saying the event will jeopardize efforts to curb smoking in developing Asian countries.
City council officials recently approved plans to hold the Emerging Tobacco Markets trade fair from Nov. 14 to Nov. 16 in Kuala Lumpur, Syed Mohamed Aljunid, head of the Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control, said on Wednesday.
"The event is meant to help tobacco companies improve the efficiency of cigarette production and find new markets in Asia," Syed Mohamed told The Associated Press. "This will raise the prevalence of smoking and have long-term consequences on anti- tobacco campaigns in this region."
The Web site for the planned trade show and industry symposium in Malaysia's largest city said 8,000 tobacco executives took part in the last such event, but stressed that the proceedings are closed to the public.
The show is for all members of the Asian tobacco industry in China, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Korea, Japan, Philippines, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Sponsors do "not encourage people who do not smoke to begin smoking."
The event gained approval because the aim of the conference is to showcase the tobacco industry's newest technology and not to promote smoking, a spokeswoman for Kuala Lumpur City Hall, speaking on condition of anonymity, said.
She said the event would proceed despite the objections.
At least 28 non governmental groups including the National Heart Council, cancer groups and consumer organizations have written to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and City Hall officials to protest the event, said Syed Mohamed, the Malaysian activist.
Similar groups in India have collected nearly 500,000 signatures in a petition campaign to stop the event from being held in any Asian country, Syed Mohamed said, noting the signatures would be handed to the Malaysian Embassy in New Delhi soon.
"We're very serious about keeping this event out of Asia," he said.
Health Ministry Director General Ismail Merican declined to comment on the issue, but noted the ministry has repeatedly made it clear that it does not support smoking.
Syed Mohamed said hosting the event would tarnish Malaysia's anti-smoking measures, which include a ban on point-of-sale cigarette advertisements at stores starting next month. Tobacco advertising at Malaysian sporting events is illegal.
At least 3.6 million of Malaysia's 26 million people are smokers, government statistics say. About 10,000 Malaysians die every year from smoking-related ailments.