Smoking products bill to be tabled by the end of this Parliament session, says Health Minister

PETALING JAYA: The Bill to regulate vaping and to end generational smoking for those born in and after 2007 will be tabled before the end of the current Parliament session which concludes on Nov 30, says Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa.

“God-willing, I assure you that we will table this Bill before the end of the current Parliament session,” said Dr Zaliha.

Dr Zaliha spoke to reporters after officiating the Program Madani Afiat dan Jelajah Agenda Nasional Malaysia Sihat (ANMS) in Penang on Sunday (Nov 19) morning.

ALSO READ : AGC's legal opinion on GEG Bill consistent since 2022

Dr Zaliha responded to a question on the Attorney-General Chambers’ (AGC) statement on Nov 18, saying that the Bill, dubbed the Generational Endgame (GEG), can be challenged in court.

Attorney General Datuk Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh said provisions under the GEG Bill contravene Article 8 of the Federal Constitution, as it creates unequal treatment before the law between a person born before Jan 1, 2007 and individuals born after the date.

Previously, Dr Zaliha had said the Bill would be tabled for a second reading in Parliament on Oct 10 after receiving the nod from the Cabinet on Oct 4 to proceed with the proposed law.

However, the second reading has since been postponed to make way for government affairs in Parliament.

The current Dewan Rakyat session began on Oct 9 and ends Nov 30.

Budget 2024 is expected to be passed at the Committee stage on Nov 27 (Monday) before the Parliament sits for another three days for other government affairs.

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