Every National Day, Malaysians come together to celebrate the hard-won independence of our nation.
We remember the courage it took to cast off colonial rule, and we reflect on the meaning of freedom.
But true independence is never static: it must be renewed, expanded and defended in every generation.
Colonialisation comes in many forms.
In public health, another kind of dependence threatens the health and dignity of our people: the grip of nicotine addiction.
For decades, the tobacco industry has built its profits on taking away the very independence of many ordinary Malaysians.
This may come across as hyperbole, but it is important to remember that addiction means choice is no longer free.
It means health is sacrificed, families suffer, and our economy bears the burden of preventable disease.
If Merdeka is about liberation, then freeing Malaysians from this yoke is part of our ongoing struggle.
Breaking from dependency
The good news is that Malaysians see this clearly.
The Social & Economic Research Initiative (Seri) recently surveyed over 1,000 adults across the country.
The findings are remarkable: 70% of Malaysians support raising cigarette taxes by RM3-5 per pack, while only 7% oppose.
This support cuts across race, religion and geography – proof that the desire for change transcends political and social divides.
Even more striking is that a majority of smokers themselves (58%) back higher taxes to protect public health.
That is a powerful admission.
Smokers know they are hooked. Many want to stop, but are unable to.
They recognise that higher prices could be the push that helps them regain their independence and prevent others from starting.
Addiction is not a sign of weakness; it is a condition engineered by an industry that has long known how to profit from dependency.
To raise tobacco taxes is to break some of those chains.
No longer a choice
The numbers tell a sobering story.
Tobacco remains Malaysia’s leading cause of preventable death.
It kills not with the drama of war, but with the insidious damage of cancer, heart disease and chronic lung illness.
Families watch loved ones suffer, wives die from secondhand smoke, children grow up without parents, and billions of ringgit drain from our healthcare system every year.
Too often, people dismiss smoking as “just a habit”, a lifestyle choice that should be left to the individual.
But this view ignores a biological reality: nicotine is a highly addictive substance that literally changes the brain.
Over time, smoking is no longer about choice; it is about compulsion.
Free will becomes compromised when cravings override reason, when addiction rewires the very circuits of decision-making.
The language of “choice” cannot apply when choice itself has been taken away.
Higher tobacco taxes, by reducing affordability, help create the conditions for people to break free from an industry that thrives on their captivity.
A RM5 tax increase would, according to international modelling, reduce smoking prevalence from 18.2% to 17.2%.
That is 260,000 fewer Malaysians smoking – 260,000 lives on a different trajectory.
Many more would smoke less, especially young people who are the most sensitive to price increases.
Every smoker who quits is a victory for health, dignity and freedom.
More revenue for all
There is also a hard economic case.
Malaysia has not raised cigarette taxes since 2016.
In that time, wages have risen, prices have risen, and cigarettes have become cheaper in real terms.
This is exactly the wrong direction.
A RM5 increase would bring in RM1.2bil in extra annual revenue.
Even under conservative assumptions, the government would still gain RM600mil.
In a period when fiscal space is tight and subsidies must be carefully managed, this is money that could be used for schools, hospitals and social protection.
Public support grows even higher when people know the revenue will be earmarked for healthcare – a reminder that Malaysians want to see their sacrifices translate into tangible benefits.
Tobacco industry lobbyists regularly insist that higher taxes will simply drive smokers to illegal products, conveniently forgetting that tobacco companies themselves also increase the price of cigarettes to bolster profit margins.
But research shows that illicit trade is not caused by tax hikes; it is driven by weak enforcement and porous borders.
The Government is working hard on addressing these concerns, with the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency increasing efforts to crack down on smuggling.
Raising taxes and tightening enforcement are not contradictory.
They are twin strategies that must go hand in hand.
Reclaiming our future health
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has pledged to expand “pro-health taxes” to cover tobacco, vape and alcohol.
Budget 2026 is the perfect platform to turn those words into action.
By embedding a RM5 per pack tobacco tax into the Budget, the government can deliver both fiscal strength and public health gains, while answering the call of Malaysians who want this change.
This National Day, as we raise our flags and sing of freedom, we should also remember those who remain bound – not by colonial chains, but by chemical ones.
Tobacco addiction robs people of autonomy.
Tobacco plantations may not be driven by slave labour any more, but it takes away the independence to choose health, to live long, to breathe freely.
The industry thrives on dependence; it has built empires on the suffering of individuals and the strain on public systems.
Malaysia must take the next step in its journey of independence.
Just as our forebears declared freedom from foreign rule, we too must declare freedom from the domination of nicotine.
This is not only about saving lives, though it will.
It is about reclaiming dignity from an industry that has profited by keeping people hooked.
It is about telling the next generation that their future will not be stolen by addiction.
Dr Helmy Haja Mydin is a consultant respiratory physician and Seri chairman. For further information, email starhealth@thestar.com.my. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content appearing in this column. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.
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