With the retail prices of tobacco products expected to go up by the end of this month, the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry is gearing up to combat the anticipated increase in cigarette smuggling.

Its minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said so far, the ministry’s enforcement division, with its intelligence network and complaints from the public, has been doing a good job in curbing cigarette smuggling.

He said that through discussions with tobacco companies, they were also willing to share information on smuggling hotspots at entry points, ports and the nation’s waters.

“Based on information from the public or other agencies, the enforcement division will act swiftly to nab the culprits. The result is a high success rate,” he told reporters after attending the Sulawesi Disaster Fund aid handing over ceremony at Menara SSM in Kuala Lumpur today.

Earlier today, Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad had announced that retail prices of tobacco products are expected to increase by the end of the month due to the implementation of the Sales and Services Tax.

At the event, Saifuddin also announced that the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) was provisioning corporate zakat totalling RM100,000 to the Sulawesi Disaster Fund.

A mock check for the amount was handed over by Saifuddin Nasution to Global Peace Mission Malaysia CEO Ahmad Fahmi Mohd Samsudin witnessed by SSM CEO Zaharah Abd Wahab Fenner.

He also handed over RM6,000 collected from SSM staff.

Central Sulawesi province in Indonesia suffered a huge earthquake and tsunami disaster on Sept 28 that has left more than 2,000 people dead and over 300,000 displaced.

— Bernama