JOHOR BAHRU: The Johor government maintains the ban on the sale of vape products, including equipment and liquids as decided on Jan 1, 2016.
State Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor said that the stance taken during the state executive council meeting seven years ago remained although the government had imposed the collection of excise taxes on nicotine liquids and gel used in e-cigarettes and vaping devices from Saturday (April 1).
He said the state government had sent out circulars to all local authorities (PBT) on the ban of vaping products in the state since the ban was made.
"We understand that, at the central level, there is permission (tax on vape liquids), so we will wait for further instructions from the Federal government.
"So far, we have not received any official instruction on the banning of vape, but at the state level we still use the policy of the old decision (ban) in 2016,” he told reporters during the Johor Media Club (KMJ) Singgah Sahur 2023 Programme earlier on Tuesday (April 4).
Also present were state Health and Unity Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon, state Education, Information and Communications Committee chairman Norlizah Noh and KMJ president Mohamad Fauzi Ishak.
Mohd Jafni said this when asked to comment on the excise tax of 40 sen per millilitre on electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) liquid or gel containing nicotine imposed by the government from April 1 and the government’s stance on the ban on the sale of vape products.
Meanwhile, on the operations of Ramadan bazaars, Mohd Jafni said his committee had approved a total of 13,175 sites involving 235 locations under the administration of the Johor local authorities this year.
So far, the Ramadan bazaars under the Pasir Gudang Municipal Council (MBPG) and Batu Pahat Municipal Council (MPBP) had received lacklustre responses while the Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB) was facing issues regarding foreigners trading illegally.
"We did not issue licences to foreign traders, except if they work for locals and the licence is under their employer’s name. Only in MBJB do we have this issue and action to close them down has been taken," he said.
Earlier, Mohamad Fauzi said that the KMJ distributed 400 food packs to the Royal Malaysia Police, Malaysia Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM), staff at Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA), SWM Environment cleaning employees as well as KMJ members under its programme, which was in its ninth edition.
He said the four locations KMJ visited during the programme were Sifar Kilometer, HSA, Tampoi Marine Police Headquarters and Johor JBPM headquarters here. - Bernama
