The Negri Sembilan government today decided to allow the sale of electronic cigarette or vape products in the state, taking into account the interests of non-Muslim consumers.

Menteri Besar Mohamad Hasan said, however, the state government had agreed to ban the use of vape among Muslims, in adherence with the decision of the National Fatwa Council for Islamic Religious Affairs.

"We live in a multiracial and multireligious country, we must be fair to all, the fatwa is a guide for Muslims. So unless the federal government decides that vape cannot be sold openly, no ban will be implemented by the state.

"We do not want a polemic that is not really because of vape, as the act of vaping and selling of its products are two different issues," he told reporters after chairing the state executive council meeting at Wisma Negri, Seremban, today.

He said that even if vape was decreed unlawful because it caused more harm than good, eventually it was up to the individuals themselves to decide whether to continue vaping or stop the habit.

"I hope the enforcement bodies do not arrest people (Muslims) who vape in public because the ruling has not yet been enacted. Also those vaping cannot do so in non-smoking areas," he said.

– Bernama