Alternative tobacco and nicotine products in Malaysia
Business briefing
Industry news, specifically focusing on business-related stories
Regulatory reports
Detailed legal reports outlining industry regulation, analysis of the laws, and pertinent organisations
Market data
All of our heated tobacco and related products databases downloadable in Excel format
Regulatory data
Our full regulatory tracking databases including tax, proposed bills, etc.
NEW FORMAT
From February of 2022, subscribers will be able to view and filter individual regulatory alerts per region. If you want to get our monthly compilations, visit our alerts Round-up section.
Alerts
Our legal experts track the evolving regulation around the tobacco alternatives sector on a daily basis. These alerts are then compiled into our Monthly Round-up section.
1st June 2022
Malaysia: The deputy minister of health said yesterday, 31st May, that the bill banning the sales of vaping products to anyone born after 2005, which we previously reported on, has been brought to state lawyers for approval before it is tabled in the parliament in July, press reports. The deputy minister asked for unanimous support for the bill from all MPs when it is tabled.19th May 2022
- Malaysia: The minister of health is reviewing the possibility of imposing plain packaging on tobacco products and a ban on their display in shops where they can be bought, press reports. The measure would be part of a set of rules intended to be enacted after the tabling of the bill banning the sales of tobacco products to anyone born after 2005, which we previously reported on. However, the minister has acknowledged the need to conduct thorough studies and engagement sessions with stakeholders first.
25th April 2022
Malaysia: Health minister Khairy Jamaluddin reportedly said last week that the 15% import duty on nicotine gum products, to be imposed from 1st June, should either reduced or cancelled, describing them as a good smoking cessation tool. This liberal policy towards nicotine gum would be in contrast to the legal framework for heated tobacco products, which are deemed to be as harmful as cigarettes. The government is planning to ban the sale of such products, along with e-cigarettes, to anyone born after 2005.
6th April 2022
Malaysia: A bill banning sales of tobacco products to anyone born after 2005 will be discussed tomorrow by a parliamentary Special Committee on Health, Science and Innovation before it is introduced to Parliament in July, press reports. Tomorrow’s discussion will be the first of a series of committee proceedings to review the wording of the bill and its implementation plans, while taking into account the different views from all relevant parties.
17th March 2022
- Malaysia: Contrary to what was expected, the minister of health tweeted today, 17th March: “God willing, the Bill [banning the sales of tobacco products to anyone born after 2005] will be tabled in July and get bipartisan support.” The minister himself previously announced that the bill would be introduced in the first session of the Dewan Rakyat (lower parliamentary chamber), which runs from 28th February to 24th March.
4th March 2022
- Malaysia: The minister of health said yesterday that the bill banning the sales of tobacco products to anyone born after 2005, which we previously reported on, still has to undergo several additional engagement sessions with NGOs and industry players before being tabled in the parliament. The minister expressed his intention to present the bill to parliament during its first sitting, which runs until 24th March, but also acknowledged the possibility of tabling the bill in the next sitting, which will take place between June and July of this year.
1st March 2022
- Malaysia: The first sitting of the Dewan Rakyat (Malaysian lower parliamentary chamber) in which the bill banning the sales of vaping products to anyone born after 2005 that we previously reported on is expected to be introduced by the Ministry of Health started today and running until 24th March. Although the bill has not been listed in today’s agenda nor has it been mentioned in the King’s Speech opening ceremony, the Ministry has until 24th March to introduce the bill. However, the longer the Ministry delays the tabling of the bill, the less likely it is to pass, as the time needed to debate it and propose any significant amendments will be increasingly reduced.
