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Daily Express
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Express
Letting US-based firm make e-cigarettes in Johor ‘a huge mistake', says expert
Published on: Wednesday, June 04, 2025 Published on: Wed, Jun 04, 2025 By: Anne Muhammad, FMT Text Size: Ispire Technology Inc claimed to be the only company fully authorised to manufacture, import, and export nicotine products in Malaysia, and said it could start operations immediately. (LinkedIn pic) PETALING JAYA: A health expert has criticised the move to grant a US-based company licence to manufacture electronic cigarette devices with nicotine-based liquids or gels in Johor, describing it as 'a huge mistake'. Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said the green light for Ispire Technology Inc would give the impression that the government endorsed the vape industry. He said this was at odds with its efforts to curb smoking, especially among the youth. 'It is a huge misstep by the government, and now they are in damage control mode,' he told FMT, referring to the health ministry's assurance that nicotine-based vape liquids remain tightly regulated. 'Malaysia aims to become a tobacco-free nation by 2040, but this licence is inconsistent with its goal.' Health think tank CodeBlue recently reported that Ispire Technology, which operates a facility in Senai, Johor, had its interim licence approved last month by both federal and state authorities. The company claimed to be the only one fully authorised to manufacture, import, and export nicotine products in Malaysia, and said it could start operations immediately. The health ministry subsequently said that nicotine-based vape liquids remained tightly regulated under the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852), despite their approval for sale in Malaysia. The ministry said these products fell under the category of 'smoking products', under Section 2 of Act 852 which covers any substances used for smoking including nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerol, and triethylene glycol. It also said that the manufacturing licence was issued by the investment, trade and industry ministry through the Malaysian Investment Development Authority, under the Industrial Coordination Act 1975. The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) agreed that granting Ispire Technology a licence would send mixed signals. Fomca CEO T Saravanan said it would give the impression that the product was safe for consumption despite the lack of evidence that vape is a healthier alternative to smoking. He added that public health should not take a back seat to the vape industry. 'If the government is really committed to protecting the younger generation from nicotine addiction, they should bar manufacturers from selling the product in the local market,' he said. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Express
GRS's 52-seat bid risks straining ties with national party allies, says analyst
Published on: Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Published on: Wed, May 28, 2025 By: Anne Muhammad, FMT Text Size: An analyst said a proposal for GRS to contest 52 out of 73 seats in the upcoming state polls could spark dissatisfaction among national party allies. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA: An analyst has cautioned that the call for Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) to contest 52 out of 73 seats in the upcoming state election risks stirring discontent among its potential allies from national parties. Syahruddin Awang Ahmad of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) said parties like Umno, which had a strong historical presence in Sabah, would see this as an attempt by GRS to 'take over' their seats. He added that GRS's proposal would have significant political implications on cooperation with Sabah's ruling coalition ahead of the state polls. 'An unfair seat distribution, or one that doesn't reflect the actual strength of each party, will have consequences,' he said. Lee Kuok Tiung, also of UMS, said three-cornered or multi-party contests would be unavoidable, even if GRS cooperates with national parties ahead of the state election. 'Overlapping areas are difficult to avoid,' he said. Advertisement Last Sunday, GRS vice-president Masiung Banah said GRS was expected to field candidates in at least 52 out of the 73 state constituencies at the next state polls. He said the remaining 21 seats would be allocated to national parties that agreed to cooperate with GRS. GRS and Pakatan Harapan (PH) are currently allies in the Sabah state administration while the Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) sits in the opposition. PH and BN have announced an alliance for the state polls, while talks are ongoing to include GRS in the pact. On Sunday, PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar expressed hope that her party would be able to contest a minimum of 13 seats in the Sabah election. The following day, Sabah DAP deputy chief Chan Foong Hin said the state chapter was eyeing at least 10 seats in the state polls. Sabah Umno had said it hoped to contest 40 seats in the 17th state election. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
