CYBERJAYA: The Health Ministry will engage with Members of Parliament next week when the Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill has been tabled for its first reading, says Khairy Jamaluddin.
The Health Minister said the ministry has been engaging with various stakeholders including vape entrepreneurs, and Health NGOS who have been in total support of the Bill.
“So far, there has been multiple support for the Bill including from Health NGOs and in fact, there were multiple statements urging the MPs to not oppose the Bill.
"Yesterday, when I engaged with vape entrepreneurs, they too agreed with this Bill," he said.
He added that the Bill was not only for the generational endgame but also to regulate the vaping industry, something that vapers have been waiting for 10 years.
"We have to be on the right side of history. This Bill has been 10 years in the making.
"There have been fierce opposition before against the regulation of vape that health NGOs and the public asked for it to be banned but for those who are addicted (to vape) if they stop, it will be hard so we compromised and bring in the generational endgame," he said.
He added that he would be explaining these facts to the Cabinet and hoped the Bill would not be delayed.
Khairy was speaking to the media after launching the Hematogenix, the first central oncology laboratory in Malaysia, here, on Friday (July 22).
Earlier this week, a health portal reported that some MPs may oppose the Bill, some citing a lack of implementation framework.
