The Ministry of Health (MOH) has never relaxed its monitoring of smokers in restricted areas such as food premises or restaurants.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham stressed that employers or restaurant operators need to ensure that customers comply with the instructions for non-smoking in restaurants.

"But what the MOH needs is the cooperation of Malaysians and employers. The shop owners must make sure the customers do not smoke in restaurants and so on," he said at a COVID-19 daily media conference here today.

He added that it was also a community empowerment to implement the action recommended by the ministry.

Dr Noor Hisham explained this when asked to comment on MOH monitoring of individuals smoking at food premises.