KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has questioned the government for sidelining health measures it claims are pivotal for “other government business.”
This comes after the government decided to postpone the second reading of the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill 2023 in the Dewan Rakyat, which had been scheduled for today.
Expressing dismay over the delay, MMA president Dr Azizan Abdul Aziz posed the question: “Where does public health stand in the government’s list of priorities?
“We were initially hopeful about the government’s commitment to pass this crucial bill.
“But recent decisions, like removing liquid and gel nicotine from the Poisons Act earlier this year and the current postponement, have seriously eroded our confidence in their dedication to this legislation,” she said in a statement.
The legislation, popularly known as the Generational End Game (GEG) bill, aims to ban the sale, purchase, and use of cigarettes and vape products by individuals born after 2007.
Azizan expressed concerns over the Health Ministry’s decision to allegedly disregard advice from experts against removing nicotine from the Poisons Act before introducing the GEG bill.
She also pointed out that the vape industry remains unchecked, and exempting nicotine from products can be detrimental.
“With nicotine’s exemption from the Poisons Act, vaping products – including those with nicotine – are accessible to children of all ages,” she said. “This is an alarming situation that no responsible government should permit.”
Recently, Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the GEG bill was expected to have new amendments for aspects such as compounds and educational enforcement.
She said the bill had gone through various stages of scrutiny from the special select committee on health and the Cabinet, before receiving the green light. – October 10, 2023