A CABINET memorandum on banning electronic cigarettes and vaping will be presented to the Cabinet by the end of this year, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad confirmed.
“I made a brief presentation of the proposal report. Prime Minister (PM) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the Cabinet have asked me to submit a Cabinet memorandum towards banning vaping,” he told reporters after officiating the Jelajah Agenda Nasional Malaysia Sihat programme in Kuala Selangor.
Dr Dzulkefly stressed that the government’s stance remains firm.
“As I have always said, it is not a matter of ‘if’, but ‘when’. I am responsible for fulfilling this directive, and the question now is the method, timing, and approach.”
On Thursday (Aug 21), while winding up the debate on the Health Ministry’s motion under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) in the Dewan Rakyat, Dzulkefly said a detailed report is being finalised by an expert committee.
The report will also examine the presence of prohibited substances, including drugs, in vape liquids.
He cautioned that while the government’s direction is towards a ban, an abrupt move could face legal challenges from industry players since the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852) is already in force.
“It is no longer a question of if we ban, but when we ban. This will be the essence of the report submitted to the PM and Cabinet,” he told the Dewan Rakyat during the ministry’s winding-up debate on the 13MP.
At the same event, Dr Dzulkefly also revealed that Selangor will soon have four Wellness Hubs, including one under construction in Kuala Selangor, as part of the government’s plan to establish 81 such centres nationwide by 2033. — Aug 23, 2025
