What happened to promised 50pct vape tax allocation for health, MP asks
An MP questioned the government's failure to channel half of vape excise duties to healthcare, as promised.Summary
Opposition MP Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi (PN-Kuala Langat) urged the government to explain how it has implemented its Budget 2023 pledge to allocate 50 percent of excise duties from nicotine vape products to the Health Ministry, citing RM354.51 million collected between 2023 and mid-2026. He noted that projected annual healthcare costs for vape-related illnesses could reach RM369 million by 2030, far exceeding tax revenue, and asked whether the government would propose a nationwide vape ban. He also raised fresh concerns over a new proposal to exempt liquid nicotine from the Poisons List, following a May High Court ruling that declared the original 2023 exemption unlawful, and questioned the legal status of duties collected since then and whether taxpayers could seek refunds.
(Source：Malaysiakini)
