Malaysia's E-cigarette Industry Opposes New Regulations: E-liquid Capacity Restrictions May Lead To Large-scale Product Withdrawals

Malaysia's e-cigarette industry opposes new regulations: e-liquid capacity restrictions may lead to large-scale product withdrawals

Five major associations in the Malaysian e-cigarette industry have called on the government to review the new regulations that are about to come into effect, arguing that the upcoming restrictions on e-liquid capacity will lead to a large number of products being removed from shelves. The group called on the government to suspend the new regulations to ensure that companies have enough time to adapt to the changes.

 

According to Malaymail on September 23, practitioners in Malaysia's local e-cigarette industry called on the government to suspend and review a series of new regulations under the Public Health Smoking Products Control Act 2024, which they said could put the industry in trouble.

 

The legislation was announced on February 2 this year and is scheduled to take effect next month (October).

 

Datuk Adzwan Manas, chairman of the Malaysian Retail E-Cigarette Association (MRECA), said that the Ministry of Health passed the new regulations at the last minute and implemented them after only one briefing, leaving industry practitioners with insufficient time to prepare for the transition.

 

Azwan mentioned that the new regulations include a ban on displaying e-cigarette products on store counters, and the e-liquid content of disposable cartridges, replaceable e-liquid tanks and disposable products must not exceed 3 ml, and the e-liquid in bottles must not exceed 15 ml. However, the current e-cigarette oil capacity on the market is generally between 30 ml and 60 ml. He believes that it should be gradually reduced every two years rather than reduced to 15 ml at once.

 

"The Ministry of Health has not given all suppliers, manufacturers and entrepreneurs enough time to complete their products. What about those who are still producing products that may take another month or two to complete, or manufacturers who have already ordered raw materials?"

 

In addition, Azwan pointed out that the Ministry of Health also requires the existing inventory to be phased out within six months, but the industry needs at least a year to complete this process. The registration fee for each e-cigarette product is 5,000 ringgit (about US$1,200), which is very high because they have already paid a lot for Sirim certification and other regulatory requirements.

 

At a press conference after handing over the memorandum to representatives of the Prime Minister's Office, Azwan said that a recent survey showed that most e-cigarette merchants were willing to pay a registration fee of 500 to 900 ringgit (US$120 to US$215) per product.

 

The memorandum was signed by five associations, namely MRECA, the Malaysian Electronic Cigarette and Tobacco Alternatives Association (MEVTA), the Malaysian Electronic Cigarette Industry Advocacy Organization, the Malaysian Electronic Cigarette Traders Association and the Malaysian Electronic Cigarette Chamber of Commerce, representing more than 2,000 electronic cigarette traders.

 

Azwan said that given that the electronic cigarette industry is also an important source of income for the country, these groups are also pushing for consultations with the Ministry of Finance led by the Prime Minister. The electronic cigarette industry also supports displaying products behind the counter instead of the government's proposed blanket display ban, which will affect their business.

 

"We have always supported the regulation of the electronic cigarette industry, but hope that it can be done graually. Don't push us to the brink of collapse through draconian regulations at the last minute."