MOH source: Cabinet to discuss GEG bill amid pressure from lobbyists

A long-delayed bill to control smoking products - including vapes which currently can be legally sold to children - will be brought to the cabinet for approval tomorrow (Wednesday), according to a source in the Health Ministry.

The Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill was supposed to be debated in the Dewan Rakyat on Oct 10 but was pulled without explanation at the 11th hour.

The Health Ministry source said answers might be forthcoming tomorrow.

"We were told the bill will be brought back to the cabinet this Wednesday (tomorrow). For what reason? We are unsure.

"Maybe we will learn tomorrow after the cabinet meeting," the source who declined to be named told Malaysiakini.

Separately, Malaysiakini was made to understand that the Health Ministry will be addressing the delays soon.

The Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill covers several important public health aspects.

One of them is to reintroduce controls over nicotine products including vapes - after the government removed the substance from the Poisons Act in March.

The bill also introduces measures meant to prevent anyone born in 2007 onwards from ever buying tobacco or nicotine products - giving the bill its Generational End Game (GEG) moniker.

The bill had gone through several delays, most recently when it was pulled from the Dewan Rakyat's itinerary last week.

Pressure from industry players

According to the Health Ministry source, one reason why the bill has not yet become law is due to pressure from industry players.

The source said the government has been trying to curtail smoking since 2004.

"From 2004, we have had six prime ministers and seven health ministers. But we still haven't solved the issue of controlling smoking.

"This is because of pressure from industry players. They are so powerful and are capable of doing anything as long as it (the law to regulate smoking and tobacco) is unsuccessful.

"This is an undeniable reality," the source said.

In March, the government removed nicotine from the list of controlled substances under the Poisons Act - ostensibly to allow vapes to be taxed.

However, this also allowed vapes containing nicotine to be sold to children, legally.

The controls were supposed to be reintroduced in the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill.

However, when the bill was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat for a first reading in June, progress was stalled after the Health Ministry sent the legislation for review by the Parliament Special Select Committee (PSSC) on Health.

The PSSC had completed its review and published its report on Oct 9, when the Health Ministry suddenly pulled the bill from being debated in the Dewan Rakyat.

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