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Free Malaysia Today
13-07-2025
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
Visitors' board process to be reviewed after vape boss controversy
Health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said Adzwan Abdul Manas's professional background presented a conflict of interest with the ministry's policies. PETALING JAYA : The appointment process for members of hospital boards of visitors will be reviewed after a vape entrepreneur was appointed to Rembau Hospital's board of visitors. Health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said there was an oversight in the screening process as Adzwan Abdul Manas's professional background presented a conflict of interest with the ministry's policies. Adzwan is the president of the Malaysian Retail Electronic Cigarette Association. Dzulkefly said the appointment process for visitors' board members will be reviewed and improved in terms of eligibility criteria and their contributions to local communities, in line with national public health policies. He said the ministry remains committed to appointing community representatives who are 'appropriate, competent, and principled.' Yesterday, Adzwan announced that he had resigned from the Rembau Hospital board following criticism over his suitability for the honorary appointment. He said the decision was made after considering the potential negative impact and public perception arising from his involvement in the vape business. Adzwan shared a photo of his appointment letter on social media on June 23. The letter was signed by Dzulkefly. In a statement today, Dzulkefly acknowledged that Adzwan's appointment had significantly affected public perception of the ministry. He said the ministry received 2,860 nominations to the visitors' boards of 143 public hospitals. Every nomination submitted to him had undergone a screening process that considered evaluations and recommendations from state representatives. 'However, in this particular case, there was an oversight in the screening process,' said Dzulkefly.
Daily Express
26-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
No drugs in ‘halal' vapes, says group
Published on: Monday, May 26, 2025 Published on: Mon, May 26, 2025 By: Faiz Zainudin, FMT Text Size: Malaysian Retail Electronic Cigarette Association president Adzwan Manas said the decision by several states to ban the sale of vapes is misguided and potentially counterproductive. PETALING JAYA: Vape retailers are calling on the government to focus on the abuse of unregistered vape products not regulated by the health ministry, which they say is the real issue affecting the sector, rather than the legal sale of vape products. Malaysian Retail Electronic Cigarette Association (MRECA) president Adzwan Manas said the decision by several states to ban the sale of vape was misguided and potentially counterproductive as it could lead to a surge in illegal products entering the black market. 'The ban is unjustified because vape products sold at licensed premises do not contain drugs. Drug-laced products are not available at registered vape shops – they're found on the black market,' Adzwan told FMT. 'The issue of drug abuse stems from unregulated vape products, not those monitored by the health ministry. People with drug-laced vapes are getting them from the black market.' Deputy inspector-general of police Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said last month that 65% of vape samples tested contained banned substances, including methamphetamine and ecstasy. He said that state governments had the right to ban vape sales, citing a growing trend of vape being misused to deliver new synthetic drugs. Advertisement He also urged all parties to work together to combat the issue, saying vape devices could be easily modified to include harmful substances. Johor and Kelantan have banned vape sales since 2016 and 2015 respectively. Terengganu and Perlis will enforce similar bans starting Aug 1, while Selangor, Penang, Negeri Sembilan, and Melaka are still reviewing the proposal. Kedah has decided against a full ban but will no longer renew vape business licences after December. Adzwan said that banning the legal sale of vape products was not the right solution to the underlying problem, arguing that education, enforcement, and collaboration would be more effective. 'MRECA has reported the open sale of drugs on online platforms to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, but such advertisements continue to flourish. 'Regulation would be much easier if the authorities had data on all retailers. If there's credible evidence of sales to minors or other violations, licences can then be revoked,' he said. Adzwan also urged state governments to reconsider their bans, which he said went against the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024. He said the act was intended to establish a comprehensive and effective regulatory framework for vape products, not to enforce a blanket ban. * 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
