Seven individuals failed to obtain leave from the Federal Court to proceed with their appeal to challenge a decision by the Health Ministry to ban smoking in all eateries, hence ending their five-year legal battle.

The three-member bench comprising Federal Court judges Zabariah Mohd Yusof, Hasnah Mohammed Hashim and Nordin Hassan not only dismissed their application to get leave to appeal but also ordered them to pay RM30,000 in legal costs to the ministry...