Not if, but when: Malaysia Health Minister announces full ban on vapes to be rolled out in phases

Malaysia will be implementing a full ban on vapes that will be progressively rolled out across multiple stages, the country's Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said in a written reply on Tuesday (Sept 9) to a Parliamentary question.

The ban, which is part of efforts by the Malaysian government to curb their misuse, will first target open-system vape devices before tackling all other vape products, The New Straits Times reported.

Unlike closed systems that use pre-filled pods, open-system vapes let users manually refill the device with any liquid or substance.

No timeline was shared by Dzulkefly, but he said that the Health Ministry has already spoken with other key ministries and agencies.

The outcome of these discussions will be considered for how this ban would be implemented before the policy would be presented for approval, he added.

Dzulkefly also highlighted six states in Malaysia — Johor, Kelantan, Terengganu, Perlis, Kedah and Pahang — for their actions in declining to issue or renew retail vape licenses in their jurisdictions, local news outlet The Vibes reported.

"This is a proactive measure that aligns with the national public health agenda," he commended.

Last month, Dzulkefly said that his ministry would table a Cabinet Memorandum on a ban of electronic cigarettes and vaping by the end of the year, according to CNA.

The Star reported that his ministry tabled a preliminary proposal report at a Cabinet meeting on Aug 23.

Speaking with the media, Dzulkefly had stated then: "I made a brief presentation of the proposal report. The Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) and the Cabinet have asked me to submit a Cabinet Memorandum towards banning vaping.

"As I have always said, it's not a matter of 'if', but 'when'. I am responsible for fulfilling this directive, and the question now is the method, timing and approach."

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khooyihang@asiaone.com