My Take | Malaysia has to clear the air on vaping laws

While the vaping industry provides tens of thousands of jobs for Malaysians, there are also rising health costs linked to e-cigarettes

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A man smokes an electronic cigarette. Photo: AP

Published: 10:00am, 7 Feb 2025

Malaysia’s government appears shrouded in a haze of indecision on vaping, as its leaders vacillate between wanting to stamp out potential health risks to the nation’s youths and keeping young entrepreneurs in business.

Without a clear and unified strategy, the country risks rising youth addiction, mounting healthcare costs and an expanding underground market for e-cigarettes.

Earlier this week, Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh told parliament that the government needed the public, particularly parents, to help the health ministry raise awareness of “the risks and dangers of vaping and electronic cigarettes on our children”.

His comments followed a spate of conflicting signals from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration, with officials voicing divergent positions on whether to curtail or potentially ban vaping altogether – prompting confusion among industry players and the wider public.

Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said on Sunday that Malaysia was prepared to reconsider a complete ban on vaping, just months after the government brought into force strict curbs instead of an earlier push for a total prohibition.

The Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act, which took effect in October, bans the sale, purchase and services related to all forms of tobacco products and tobacco substitutes, including vapes, to anyone below the age of 18.