Slow approvals for vape products by the Health Ministry has left shops with largely empty shelves, says an association.
Businesses and associations are lauding Selangor government’s suggestion to channel part of taxes collected from the sale of vape products to state governments and local authorities.
“I think it’s a brilliant idea,” said Malaysian Organisation of Vape Entities (Move) president Samsul Kamal Ariffin.
As head of a consumer group that represents vape users, Samsul Kamal, said they welcomed better enforcement.
He said that if local authorities had access to a portion of the taxes, they could use the resources towards ensuring regulations were adhered to.
He was responding to a statement by Selangor public health and environment committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin that tax revenue from vape sales be shared with local authorities to improve enforcement.
She was commenting on a Health Ministry (MOH) proposal to raise the tax rate on vape liquids ten-fold.
Jamaliah said it was important to ensure that the tax revenue is used to manage and address the negative effects of vape sales.
She said this would also support more comprehensive enforcement actions and public education efforts at the grassroots level.
“For example, the state government and local authorities need sufficient resources to carry out integrated enforcement operations on premises selling vape illegally, especially to teenagers and schoolchildren, as well as implement community advocacy and awareness programmes regarding the dangers of vape use.
“It can also be used to provide support to prevent the sale of vapes in restricted areas, besides providing rehabilitation treatment for those addicted to nicotine, especially youth,” she said.
In line with this proposal, Malaysian E-Vaporisers and Tobacco Alternative Association president Mohamad Neezam Talib said he hoped that with better resources for enforcement and awareness programmes, more efficient licensing procedures would be put in place for vape shops and importers.
“They are not giving out licences to shops and manufacturers. It’s not logical,” he said.
Describing the current restrictions imposed on retailers and importers as “overly stringent”, Mohamad Neezam said the government requirement which only allows MOH approved vape products to be sold, was causing a lot of vape shops to close down.
“Out of 6,000 units that we have sent to MOH for approval, only 10% have been allowed for sale.
“Some of our association members who sent their products for approval about five months ago, said they are still waiting in the testing queue.
“This greatly limits the number of products carried and most vape shops are having to explain to their customers why their shelves are largely empty.
“Vapers, unlike cigarette smokers, don’t stick to one flavour – they like variety.
“If the legal shops are unable to provide customers with enough choices, they may lose business to black market sellers who will be more likely to carry greater variety.”
A vape shop retail assistant in Kuala Lumpur, Hillary Scott, said if local authorities had better enforcement resources, legal vape sellers would face less competition from illicit traders.
In a written reply in Parliament in August, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was reported as saying that RM288.45mil in taxes was collected from electronic cigarette and vape products between 2021 and July 2025 while tax from cigarette sales over the same period amounted to RM15.02bil.
