THE Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill 2023, also known as the Generational Endgame (GEG) Bill that is scheduled to be tabled in Dewan Rakyat next week will paralyse the country’s Bumiputera-dominated vape industry.
The Malaysian Vape Chamber of Commerce (MVCC) secretary-general Ridhwan Rosli said the GEG Bill, should it be implemented, will kill off the vape industry owned by the Bumiputera which is currently among the sectors that contribute to the nation’s economy.
“The latest MVCC study, which has indicated that the vape industry in Malaysia is dominated by the Bumiputera, has also revealed that until the end of 2022, Malaysia has thousands of local Bumiputera entrepreneurs and workforce,” he said in statement on Wednesday (Oct 5).
“In the current situation, the implementation of the GEG Bill can hinder any development that has been achieved by local entrepreneurs who have been working hard to local (vape) industry.
“The GEG Bill is too drastic of a step to take. Prohibiting the use of a product that has already been in the market is a very difficult thing to implement and will only create another problem in its place.”
According to Ridhwan, should the GEG Bill be implemented, it will slowly kill the local vape industry, and if seen in a larger context, will not only affect the vape industry but will also affect the country’s economy in terms of tax collection and manpower while also impacting other related industries.
He went on to stress that now is not the right time for the country to implement such a “drastic effort” due to economic instability, adding that the country’s desire to reduce the prevalence of smoking is about to hit a dead-end as cigarettes are still available even at a much cheaper price.
“Opportunities and space must be given to entrepreneurs to grow. Give encouragement and recognition to the vape industry as among the industries that contributes to the country’s economy,” he urged.
“What the industry requires right now is regulation and not the GEG and regulations are required to make appropriate determinations at every stage from manufacturing to packaging and sales.”
Under the GEG Bill, children born in 2007 and subsequent years will be prohibited from smoking, buying or possessing any type of smoking product, including electronic cigarettes or vape products, even after reaching the age of 18. – Oct 5, 2023
Main pic credit: Unsplash/E-Liquids UK
