They said the decision was abitrary, and that such a rule should be left to restaurant owners to implement.

The Malaysia-Singapore Coffee Shop Proprietors’ General Association said restaurant patrons comprised both smokers and non-smokers whose rights should be protected.

“Our eateries are not owned by the city council or the government, so shouldn’t our views matter more than unrelated parties?” said its president Ho Su Mong at a press conference today.

“The move to ban smoking is illogical,” he said, adding that the government should fight the smoking habit through other means.

He said restaurant owners had worked hard, build their business “through blood and sweat”.

“The government should understand the challenges and difficulties faced so that a more practical and fair approach can be introduced,” said Ho.

Putrajaya has announced a mandatory smoking ban in all restaurants, coffee shops and hawker centres starting next year. The ban also covers open-air eateries.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian India Restaurants Association has urged the government to review the decision.

Its president T Mutusamy said the ban would have an impact on business.

“This is like affecting our rice bowls in a legal way, especially the small shops.”

Mutusamy said the smoking ban at eateries should be a low priority.

He said the government should instead pay more attention in curbing the sale of illicit cigarettes.

Mutusamy said a meeting with Deputy Health Minister Lee Boon Chye had not been fruitful.

He said the ministry had said that customers could still smoke 10 feet away from eateries so that shop owners would not be held liable.

The Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association said the ban was not carefully thought through.

“If my customers ask where they can smoke, what do I say?” asked its president Ayub Khan.

“Ten feet away from our shops means smoking on the road. Isn’t that dangerous and discriminating? How does one tell customers this?”