GEORGE TOWN, March 20 — The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) has called on the government to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to probe into the influence of tobacco and vape industry players in removing the generational end game (GEG) components from the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health 2023 Bill.
Its president Mohideen Abdul Kader said comes after the disclosure by Deputy Health Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni on Thursday (March 14), who said the GEG components failed due to the influence of tobacco and vape lobbyists.
The lobbying by industry players not only violated the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), but also tarnished the sanctity of Parliament as a place where laws are enacted in the interest of Malaysia.
“Therefore, we urge Parliament to amend the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health 2023 Bill to reinstate the GEG components without any delay,” he said in a statement today.
At the Dewan Rakyat sitting last week, Lukanisman said there was pressure from the industry, with industry players coming to Parliament and meeting with MPs, which subsequently influenced the decision that saw the GEG components removed from the anti-smoking bill last year.
— Bernama
