PETALING JAYA: A Cabinet Memorandum on a ban on vape and e-cigarettes would be presented to the Cabinet latest by end of this year, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
Dr Dzulkefly said he had briefed the Prime Minister on Friday on the matter, but the Cabinet wanted a detailed report instead.
“It’s not a matter of (whether) if we ban vape, but rather when will we ban it all together. I am responsible for carrying out that order and the question is how, when and what approach we will be taking,“ he said.
He said this after officiating the Jelajah Agenda Nasional Malaysia Sihat (ANMS) and the closing ceremony of Jom Nak Sihat Kuala Selangor 2.0 event here on Saturday.
Dr Dzulkefly in his wrap-up of the 13th Malaysian Plan for the Health Ministry in Dewan Rakyat on Thursday said a special taskforce from his ministry was preparing a concise report on the ban of vape.
Separately, he commented on viral pictures showing clinics putting the national flag upside down and said it might be a genuine mistake for them to do that and we should give them the space to correct their mistake.
“What’s most important is that we show our national flag with sincere and honest patriotism and be responsible for our expression.
“We need to be careful in showing the flag, but if you made a minor mistake people should understand that we’re only human and we make mistakes. People should just remind them not to show the flag upside down again,“ he said.
Regarding the event, Dr Dzulkefly said ANMS is a national agenda aimed at improving the health literacy of the people, while also promoting the culture of healthy living in daily life.
“This tour serves as an engagement platform between the ministry, agencies, and the community to support consistent and sustainable behaviour change,“ he said.
He reminded people that the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2023 data shows that public health challenges in the country remain serious.
“In Selangor, the issue of overweight is higher than the national average, even though the prevalence of obesity in Selangor is lower than the national prevalence (19.1%),” he said.
He added that this was a major challenge that must be addressed collectively. He said through the Jom Nak Sihat Kuala Selangor 2025 programme, community interventions have made a tangible impact.
He gave the example of the Jom Nak Sihat Program (Module I: Fit & Eat Right – IFitEr), where eight out of 10 participants successfully lost weight, with an average of 16 kg per person. Results had shown that more than one in five of them have now reached a normal BMI level.
More importantly, he said participants are now more active, motivated, and aware that behavioural changes could transform the future of their own health and that of their families.
