No country could ban smoking, says Anwar amid protest over nicotine delisting

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim today said it was difficult for the government to prohibit smoking, assuring however that the generational endgame bill to ban the habit in the younger generation would be tabled in May amid an outcry over the recent move to delist liquid or gel nicotine as a poisonous substance. 

Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat, he said a ban on smoking would also be considered as drastic action. 

"We should act to raise awareness, but no country in the world could implement the extreme move to ban vape and cigarettes.

"While we campaign about the negative effects, we will continue with taxation so that the substance does not become widespread," he said to a question from Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi (PN-Kuala Langat).

Yunus had asked whether the government believed that the youth would become more inclined towards addiction and diseases linked to smoking following Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa's move to delist nicotine as a controlled substance under the Poisons Act 1952.   

The decision was made despite unanimous objection from the Poisons Board. 

Anwar acknowledged the objections from health groups but said it was hard for the government to prohibit the act of smoking. 

"Religious scholars say it is haram but the problem has persisted for thousands of years," he added. 

"We take the moderate approach of imposing taxes." 

He also said that the Tobacco Products and Smoking Control Bill would be tabled during the Parliament session in May. 

"I apologise for the delay because many MPs asked for a review of several provisions," he said. 

"The bill was not unilaterally rejected." 

The vape liquid tax, announced during the budget presentation last year, was implemented on April 1 at a rate of 40 sen per milliliter of liquid.

A total of 50% of the duty will be channelled to the health ministry.