WITH the tabling of the Control of Smoking Product for Public Health Bill 2023 in sight, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said it would be “extreme” of the government to totally ban smoking and vaping. 

However, with the amendment to the Poison Act 1952, which delisted liquid or gel nicotine as poisonous substance, and with an impending imposition of excise duties on vape products, Anwar was of the opinion it could curb smoking and vaping progressively. 

“To ban vape and cigarette (totally) is an extreme action, which I don’t think any country in this world would be able to implement.  

“People still opt to smoke even when we have awareness campaigns against it.

“While we campaign on the negative effects, we continue this taxation so the substance does not become cheap and widespread,” Anwar told the Dewan Rakyat today. 

The Tambun lawmaker was replying to a question from Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi (Kuala Langat-PN), who asked whether youth would now become inclined towards smoking following Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa’s move to remove nicotine as a controlled substance under the Act.

Zaliha exercised her ministerial powers last Friday to exempt liquid or gel nicotine as a Class C poison from the list of scheduled poisons under the Act to enable taxation on e-liquids with nicotine – overruling the Poisons Board’s unanimous objection to the government proposal. 

During his Budget 2023 speech, Anwar had said the government will bring into effect an excise duty of 40 sen per ml on e-liquids with nicotine from April 1. 

Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii, in a supplementary question, urged the prime minister for a strong commitment on the passage of the bill, adding the government should not sideline the interest of public health even though it wants to collect tax.

Responding to Yii, Anwar said the bill – which was briefed by the Health Ministry (MOH) to both government and opposition MPs – will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat in May. 

“As per your question, will the government insist on introducing the bill? Like what was stated by the health minister previously, the answer is ‘yes’. 

“We have made a clear decision to introduce it. I apologise for the delay because many MPs have asked for a review of a few provisions, but not an outright rejection,” Anwar said.

The bill regulates all smoking products, including smoking materials containing nicotine, to ensure comprehensive control over nicotine preparation or gels containing nicotine in e-cigarettes or vapes. 

Yii, who is an adviser to Dr Zaliha, also suggested expanding the 50% earmarking of the tax on e-liquids for the MOH to all sin taxes, including tobacco taxes.

Anwar said Putrajaya would take his request into consideration. – April 4, 2023.