KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has urged the government to reverse its decision to exempt liquid nicotine from the Poisons Act 1952, as Parliament has delayed the tabling of the Control of Smoking Product for Public Health Bill 2023.
Expressing his disappointment over the delay, MMA president Dr Muruga Raj Rajathurai said that it would be “irresponsible” of the government to overlook public health concerns associated with the exemption.
“The removal... allows any vape, with or without nicotine, to be sold openly and legally to anyone, including children of any age,” he said in a statement today.
“If, by any chance, the tobacco control bill is further delayed, the Health Ministry must immediately reverse its decision to exempt nicotine from the Poisons Act, as the e-cigarette and vaping industry remains unregulated.”
He also said that the failure to discuss and vote on the bill in the current parliamentary session, which is scheduled to end on Thursday, demonstrates the government’s “lack of urgency and commitment” in passing the bill.
“MMA was under the impression that the bill was ready to be tabled, debated, and voted upon. Can the PSSC (parliamentary special select committee on health) expedite their review sufficiently to allow the bill to proceed in the current parliamentary session?” he asked.
“Previously, the health minister, Dr Zaliha Mustafa, had stated that it was a success for the ministry to finally obtain the cabinet’s support to table the bill... it was later confirmed that the bill would indeed be tabled for its first reading today.
“Did the Health Ministry just decide this morning to refer the bill once again to the PSSC for further fine-tuning?”
Earlier today, Dr Zaliha told the Dewan Rakyat that the ministry has recommended referring the bill to the PSSC on health for further examination and scrutiny of the proposed generational endgame provisions.
According to the blue bill distributed in Parliament today, the bill aims to regulate the sale and purchase of tobacco products, smoking materials, tobacco-substitute products, and smoking devices for the purpose of public health and creating a smoke-free generation.
Clauses 13 and 14 of the bill propose prohibiting the sale of tobacco products and smoking substances to individuals born on or after January 1, 2007.
The bill was previously tabled in August last year by Dr Zaliha’s predecessor, Khairy Jamaluddin, who also referred the bill to the PSSC for review.
The bill’s reintroduction was then delayed due to the dissolution of Parliament on October 10 and the subsequent 15th general election. – The Vibes, June 12, 2023
