Selangor government proposes portion of vape tax revenue be channelled towards enforcement

The Selangor government has proposed that a portion of tax revenue from the sale of e-cigarettes and vapes be channelled towards state governments and local authorities to support their enforcement efforts against vaping.

In a statement on Thursday (Oct 9), Selangor public health and environment committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin said that the state health ministry could consider establishing a collaborative mechanism between the federal and state governments for vape control.

She added that it is important to ensure that tax revenue is utilised towards addressing the negative effects of vape sales and supporting enforcement actions at a grassroots level.

"(The tax revenue) can also be used to provide support to educational institutions, the community and (local authorities) in monitoring and preventing the sale of vapes in restricted areas, besides providing rehabilitation treatment for those addicted to nicotine, especially the youth," she said.

Without the proper distribution of resources, comprehensive implementation of enforcement efforts will be difficult, particularly for larger states like Selangor, Jamaliah said.

This comes after Malaysia's Health Ministry submitted a proposal to increase the tax on vape liquids by 10-fold, from RM0.4 (S$0.12) per millilitre to RM4.

According to federal Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni, the proposal was submitted to Malaysia's Finance Ministry and calls for taxation on vape products to align with those of conventional tobacco products.

The tax aims to reduce consumption and sale of vapes ahead of a nationwide ban, which Malaysia hopes to implement by mid-2026, said federal Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad on Sept 25.

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dana.leong@asiaone.com