Vape boss claims he never accepted hospital's 'board of visitors' role

Summary

• Vape entrepreneur Adzwan Ab Manas says he was unaware of his appointment to the Rembau Hospital board of visitors, which supposedly began on Jan 1.

• He says he resigned from the board on the same day he was informed of his appointment, on June 23.

• His appointment sparked backlash due to his ties to the vape industry.

A prominent figure in the vape industry claimed he never held a position on the Rembau Hospital’s board of visitors, following widespread backlash over his alleged appointment.

Adzwan Ab Manas told Malaysiakini that he resigned from the board on the same day he was made aware of his appointment by the Health Ministry - on June 23.

“The (appointment) letter (from the ministry) stated that my tenure came into effect on Jan 1 and was supposed to end on Dec 31, 2027, but I was only informed of the matter last month.

“I attended a meeting (with the hospital) later that day and resigned.

“In other words, I never even accepted the appointment,” said the Malaysia Retail Electronic Cigarette Association president.

A board of visitors in a hospital typically liaises between the hospital and the community to disseminate information about the services provided.

The board also addresses challenges in service delivery and patient welfare, as well as coordinates financial assistance and donations.

Adzwan also believed that his involvement in the vape industry was not a consideration behind the appointment, noting that the post would not have provided him any financial benefits.

“Any member of the public can be appointed to a hospital’s board of visitors (as) its main task is to act on behalf of patients to ensure they receive the best treatment from the hospital,” he added.

He also said his social media post on June 23, where he shared an image of the appointment letter with the caption “in service of the nation”, was meant as a sarcastic jab.

However, he did not clarify who the taunt was directed at.

Firdaus finds fault

In a Facebook post earlier today, Adzwan said he resigned from the board after considering the negative perceptions that could arise from his role in the vape industry.

His appointment incited controversy after preacher Firdaus Wong Abdullah claimed on social media that the move contradicts the aspirations of Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad, who has said the government is ready to revisit a plan to ban vape sales.

Firdaus had uploaded an image of Adzwan’s appointment letter, which was signed by Dzulkefly and dated May 27.

The preacher also shared a screenshot of Adzwan’s name on a list of those on the Rembau Hospital’s board of visitors.

Responding to the image, Adzwan claimed the Health Ministry had not updated the site following his resignation.

The Health Ministry has yet to respond to requests for comments on the matter.

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