Govt to table bill on regulating tobacco, vape next year

PETALING JAYA: The health ministry has confirmed that a bill on the regulation of tobacco, e-cigarettes, vape and shisha will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat next year.

It could be tabled in the first term at the latest.

The ministry confirmed this in a written reply to Shahrudidn Md Salleh (Pejuang-Sri Gading), who asked about the status of the bill that was supposed to be tabled last year.

In the reply yesterday, it said the bill, which was first drafted in 2016, had been sent to the Attorney-General’s Chambers in August 2019 to be enacted but was later returned to the ministry due to changes in the government.

The ministry said the bill will pave the way for comprehensive regulation of conventional tobacco products and new smoking products like vape that are attracting more young smokers.

It also said it had applied for a date to the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department to table the bill.

Meanwhile, on the matter of alcohol sale, the housing and local government ministry has confirmed that it does not have any plans for establishing “alcohol restriction zones”.

The ministry made the statement in a written reply to Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz (PAS-Bachok) yesterday.

“State governments can opt to designate zones for premises that sell alcohol in their future plans for land utilisation as part of their local plans,” the ministry said. — Free Malaysia Today