Today (September 3), the Consumer Choice Center (CCC) Malaysia criticized the Ministry of Health for withholding details of a July 21 closed-door briefing on e-cigarettes and vaping from both the public and most Members of Parliament. It said, “to date, the details of this briefing have not been made available to the public or Members of Parliament beyond the [Parliamentary Special Select Committee (JKPK)]. Requests from other MPs for more information were reportedly dismissed on the grounds that the session was strictly an internal JKPK matter.”
According to CCC Malaysia Country Associate Tarmizi Anuwar, the ministry’s lack of transparency and its plan to propose a nationwide vape ban undermine democratic accountability and risk driving consumers to illicit markets. The CCC warned that the proposed prohibition would be premature given the recent enactment of the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852), inconsistent across jurisdictions, and contradicted by international evidence showing bans fail to curb use.
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