Khairy claims he was pressured to delist nicotine from Poisons Act

PETALING JAYA: Khairy Jamaluddin claims he was pressured by the Finance Ministry to delist nicotine from the Poisons Act 1954 but resisted doing so.

The former health minister, in a recent episode of his "Keluar Sekejap" podcast claimed that the pressure came from the Finance Ministry as delisting nicotine would enable the government to collect taxes on nicotine-based products.

"There was pressure to delist but I stood my ground, as the health minister (my job) is not to help increase the government's income but to ensure that public health and safety are safeguarded.

"If we allow the widespread use of vaping and cigarettes, it would end up a bigger cost (for healthcare)," he said on Tuesday (July 4).

"Keluar Sekejap" co-host Shahril Sufian Hamdan had asked if Khairy had been pressured to exempt nicotine from the Poisons Act when he was serving as health minister under the administration led by Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Shahril was referring to the judicial review filed by the non-governmental organisations (NGO) against the Health Ministry for removing nicotine from the poisons list on June 30.

The three applicants, namely the Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control (MCTC), Malaysian Green Lung Association and Voice of the Children said the legal challenge against the Health Ministry was a last resort after other approaches failed.

MCTC had repeatedly pointed out that delisting nicotine would lead to a "lacuna" in which this harmful substance would be widely available to the public for consumption.

On April 1, the Health Ministry, in a gazetted notice, removed nicotine liquids and gels used in ecigarettes and vape products under the Poisons Act.