A man has publicly apologised to Dr Lee Boon Chye for openly flouting the smoking ban and hurling insults at the deputy health minister.

The man, identified as 67-year-old Cai Chang Fa in Guangming Daily, was one of two people featured in a circulating viral video, which shows them smoking in front of a 'no smoking' sign in a Taiping market.

The other individual in the video has also apologised in a separate video.