KUALA LUMPUR – Electronic cigarette or vape devices manufacturers and importers will have to obtain the MS Sirim certification from Sirim QAS International Sdn Bhd August 3 onwards or face fines and jail term, according to a federal gazette published yesterday.
The gazette said the MS Sirim logo must be labelled on the devices, spare parts or container to show they are in compliance with Malaysian Standard MS 2716.
According to the gazette, any company that fails to comply is liable to a fine not exceeding RM200,000 (for the first offence), and not exceeding RM500,000 for a second or subsequent offence.
For offenders who are not corporate bodies, they are liable to a fine not exceeding RM100,000, or a jail term not exceeding three years, or both.
For a second or subsequent offence, they are liable to a fine not exceeding RM250,000, or imprisonment not more than five years or both.
This comes under Trade Descriptions (Certification and Marking of Electronic Cigarette Device) Order 2022 of the Trade Descriptions Act 2011 (Act 730).
Recently, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced that the government intends to outlaw smoking by making the sale of tobacco products, including vape, illegal for those born after 2005.
Advocacy group Malaysian Vapers Alliance (MVA) in February called on the government to differentiate vape from traditional cigarettes and develop a separate set of regulations for what they believe is a safer alternative to smoking.
According to MVA, 90% of Malaysian vape users who responded to its survey support the government’s decision to introduce vape regulations in Malaysia, which are separate from those governing traditional cigarettes. – The Vibes, April 6, 2022
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