PUTRAJAYA: The sale of e-cigarette products, including vapes, on social media platforms is being closely monitored by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil (pic).
Fahmi revealed that many of these transactions are occurring on platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp.
“Through the MCMC, the Communications Ministry is actively monitoring the online sale of e-cigarette products, especially on social media platforms,” he said during a post-Cabinet press conference yesterday.
“God willing, the MCMC will prepare a report which my ministry will present to the Cabinet for further discussion,” he said when asked whether the Federal Government intends to ban the sale of e-cigarettes, including vapes.
As for a review of existing laws governing the sale of such products, Fahmi said: “This matter comes under the Health Ministry, but from the Communications Ministry’s perspective, MCMC continues to monitor the situation online.”
Several states, including Johor, Kelantan and Terengganu, have already banned the sale of e-cigarettes.
Meanwhile, Fahmi confirmed that neither the position of Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz in the Cabinet nor Umno’s request to retain all seven of its ministerial posts was discussed in the Cabinet meeting.
Tengku Zafrul recently submitted his resignation from Umno and expressed his intention to join PKR.
Following Tengku Zafrul’s departure, Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the party is requesting to retain its seven Cabinet positions, as Umno would otherwise be left with only six ministers.
On another matter, Fahmi said the proposed move to make it mandatory for parents to monitor their children’s online activity under the Online Safety Act will be further detailed by a dedicated committee.
He said the formation of the Online Safety Committee, under the purview of the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, is a key step in enforcing the legislation.
“It will play a crucial role in determining what constitutes ‘online harm’ and how it should be addressed under the law,” he said.
On June 2, Azalina had said the government was reviewing existing legal provisions to introduce clearer responsibilities for parents and guardians to prevent child abuse and neglect.
