KUCHING: The initiative by the Health Ministry (MoH) to introduce new laws to curtail smoking may be undermined by the severity of the illegal cigarette trade, says Dayak Transformation Association (Trada).
The association applauded the bold and innovative efforts by Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin to stop youths and future generations of Malaysians from buying cigarettes.
“We believe that this move will be undermined by the high prevalence and easy availability of illegal cigarettes in Malaysia today, especially in poorer communities,” said Trada president and founder Joseph Janting.
“People who sell these illegal cigarettes do not have to comply with any law or regulation.
“In fact, if MoH’s Generation End Game were to be put in place, we believe there would be a boom for illegal cigarettes as people who are banned from buying legal products will source their cigarettes from these unscrupulous vendors who are aplenty around Malaysia.”
Joseph pointed out that six out of 10 cigarettes sold in Malaysia today are illegal cigarettes manufactured overseas or locally.
“In Sarawak, illegal cigarettes today command more than 80 per cent of the market.
“Wherever you go, you can see people selling and smoking contraband brands. It is a serious problem.
“I urge the health minister and ministry officers in Putrajaya to visit Sarawak and have a better sense of the dire illicit cigarette situation here and to see the complexity of implementing the new law here,” he said on Friday (July 8).
At the same time, Trada urged the MoH to be steadfast in its attempt to curtail smoking in Malaysia by tackling the illegal cigarette trade.
“Then, the ministry should put in place new laws and regulations that will be in line with the national health agenda.
“The most significant factor driving the illegal cigarettes business is the price difference between legal and contraband. In Sarawak, the most popular contraband brands, namely Era and Premium, are only RM5 compared to RM12, the cheapest legal product.
“People with lower income have no choice but to buy these cheap illegal cigarettes, which are widely available.”
Joseph said the federal government must seriously look into excise and tax reforms, enforcing the law on perpetrators of illegal cigarette trade and ending the corruption that fuels this unlawful trade.
In the upcoming Parliament session starting on July 18, MoH is planning to table a set of regulations to curtail smoking and vaping, including banning the sale of cigarettes and vape products to those born after 2005 (Generation End Game), restricting publicly displaying cigarette products for sale and implementing plain packaging on cigarettes.
