THE Malaysia Retail Electronic Cigarette Association (MRECA) has urged the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry to accord vape players at least one year to fulfill and comply with the standards for vape devices.
MRECA made such stance following the Ministry’s recent announcement that local manufacturers and importers of vape devices must undergo certification from SIRIM QAS International Sdn Bhd and that those devices products must bear MS Sirim labelling which comes with a serial number effective Aug 3.
Such requirement under the Trade Descriptions (Certification and Marking) of Electronic Cigarette Devices Order 2022 was gazetted on April 5.
“Four months is insufficient for all the industry players to comply,” commented MRECA president Datuk Adzwan Ab Manas.
“While the SIRIM guidelines itself state that the certification and testing process takes approximately 80 working days, this is not the same when it comes to having hundreds of companies trying to get certifications for thousands of products.”
As such, Adzwan foresees SIRIM QAS facing a very challenging task to complete certification for so many vape players in such a short time span.
“Previously, our members have also undergone similar process which took them six to eight months just for one product from one company to complete the testing and certification process. Therefore, complying with the Aug 3 deadline is a tall order.”
Adzwan said the authorities must also consider the time needed for industry players to make changes to their production lines in order to adhere to the labelling requirements. Moreover, some industry players have more than four months inventory stocks in warehouses, hence exposing them to losses.
“Taking into consideration all these factors, we believe the industry needs one year to be fully transitioned,” he projected.
“I am certain that the vape players in Malaysia will do whatever that is necessary to get their products certified. Therefore, it is only right that the Government is fair to them by giving them sufficient time to undergo the necessary steps.”
In addition to requesting for additional time, MRECA also urged the Government to re-look and review industry standards as they are deemed outdated.
“The standards announced were developed close to five years ago. Since then, the vape industry has seen multiple transformations that have improved the quality of vape devices,” Adzwan pointed out.
“Therefore, we believe that the set of standards must be reviewed and updated to ensure that they are in line with international best practices.”
After all, the vape industry in Malaysia has the potential to grow as a significant contributor to the country’s economy, he added. – April 10, 2022
