Malaysia is set to roll out a nationwide ban on vaping by the middle of next year, Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad has confirmed.
The prohibition will apply to both the sale and use of vapes and e-liquids, and is expected to be implemented in stages.
“The effort is ultimately to finally ban vapes. But I cannot pre-empt the Cabinet’s decision,” Dzulkefly said at a press conference, according to The Star.
He added: “The question is no longer if we ban vaping, but when,” as quoted by The Sun.
Phased approach planned
Dzulkefly explained that the Ministry of Health will adopt a gradual approach to enforcement. A special expert committee has already submitted recommendations, which will be presented when the ministry tables a memorandum for Cabinet consideration.
“The expert committee is looking into the matter in detail and when we table the memorandum, all the recommendations will be presented,” he said.
Earlier this month, Dzulkefly told parliament in a written reply that the government intended to impose a full ban on the sale of vapes and vape products “as part of efforts to curb their misuse.”
He said the phased implementation will begin with open-system vape devices and then extend to cover all categories.
Open-system vapes allow users to manually refill devices with any liquid or substance, while closed systems use pre-filled pods that cannot be refilled.
States already restricting sales
The minister has previously supported decisions by six states – Johor, Kelantan, Terengganu, Perlis, Kedah and Pahang – to stop issuing or renewing licences for vape retailers.
In July, Dzulkefly announced that Malaysia was ready to revisit banning vapes, describing the move as a “belated attempt.” At the time, he also said that legislation banning vaping without tackling its availability would amount to “empty legislation.”
He suggested that a regulatory framework could give authorities control over “the safety of devices and content of [vaping] liquid to make sure they adhere to standards.”
Policy in flux
Malaysia has shifted its stance on vaping in recent years. In 2015, the country’s health ministry sought to restrict the sale of vapes after a rapid rise in popularity, particularly among young people. Enforcement, however, was inconsistent, with some states moving ahead of national policy to block licences.
The new timeline outlined by Dzulkefly puts the country on course for a nationwide prohibition by mid-2026, subject to Cabinet approval of the memorandum.
On 11 September, he told reporters the Cabinet paper was being finalised but could not disclose details until discussions were complete.
