Negeri Sembilan seems set on being a rare holdout in the national debate on vaping, at least until Putrajaya makes up its mind on the matter.
Despite calls from various religious organisations to ban the tobacco alternative, the Negeri Sembilan state government will not commit to a ban, until the Federal Government decides if a national ban is the right course.
Chairperson of the state’s Action Committee on Education and Health, Shamshulkahar Mogd Deli told mStar that local government enforcers will still keep an eye on vape shops to ensure they do not deal in illicit substances.
“I can’t outlaw the sale of vaping products unless federal authorities declare they are illegal first,” Shamshulkahar said.
Negeri Sembilan took the stand of allowing the sale and use of vaping products throughout the state, saying it did so out of consideration for non-Muslims in the state who partake in the habit.
On Sunday, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and Taoists (MCCBCHST) asked the Negeri Sembilan state government to ban the sale of vapes and vaping paraphernalia.
The council’s chair, V Kandasamy said that since the National Fatwa Council decreed that vaping was haram for Muslim Malaysians, the practice should also be prohibited for those of other faiths.
He added that the state government should have consulted with the MCCBCHST before deciding not to outlaw vaping, since the council’s position is identical to that of the NFC’s.
