Malaysia Plans To Ban E-cigarettes Nationwide: First, It Will Ban Open Devices

According to Malaysia News on September 16th: Malaysia is set to follow the example of its neighboring country Singapore and completely ban electronic cigarettes to curb the increasingly serious abuse phenomenon. Although this move has been praised by health advocates, it has been resisted by the electronic cigarette industry.
Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said that the measure will be implemented in stages, starting with the ban on "open" electronic cigarettes and then expanding to cover all types of electronic cigarette products.
Open system electronic cigarettes are reusable devices that can be manually filled with any liquid or substance, while closed system electronic cigarettes are disposable and therefore more popular among new users and occasional users due to their convenience.
Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad told the media on September 11th that the government is finalizing a cabinet document and will ban electronic cigarettes nationwide. He said: "The question is no longer 'whether to ban', but 'when to ban'." More details will be announced later.
Although electronic cigarette licenses have been frozen since 2016, the industry is still developing rapidly.
According to data from the Malaysian Electronic Cigarette Association, the value of the industry was 3.48 billion ringgit (1.1 billion Singapore dollars) in 2023, compared to 2.27 billion ringgit in 2019.
This measure has received support from health advocates, but has been resisted by the electronic cigarette industry. The Malaysian Retail Electronic Cigarette Association (MRECA) believes that a complete ban will only stimulate the black market and increase the risk of consumers' exposure to illegal products. Some retailers have questioned the fairness of the policy, pointing out that cigarettes and alcohol, among others, also pose health risks.