Top Takeaways:
- Perak gives vape retailers until October to stop operations
- State warns enforcement will begin when grace period ends
- Federal government targets nationwide vape ban by mid- to late-2026
Vape retailers in Malaysia’s Perak state have been given until October to wind down operations after state authorities moved forward with a ban on the sale of electronic cigarettes, granting a 10-month grace period before full enforcement begins.
Perak Human Resources, Health, Indian Community Affairs and National Integration Committee Chairman A. Sivanesan said Jan. 5 the transition period is intended to allow traders with valid, unexpired licences time to prepare for closure, including businesses in the state capital, Ipoh.
“We are still giving leeway until October because a few traders still hold valid sales licences that have not yet expired,” Sivanesan said.
He warned, however, that enforcement action would be taken against retailers who attempt to exploit the grace period or continue operating in violation of the ban, which the state has framed as a public health and community safety measure.
Perak previously announced on Oct. 1, 2025, that it would stop issuing and renewing vape retail licences beginning January 2026, aligning the state with federal plans to phase out vaping nationwide.
Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad has said the federal government aims to fully implement a national ban on vaping products by mid-2026, or by the end of the year at the latest, depending on the completion of required regulatory and legislative processes.
If the federal government completes legislative amendments and gazettes a nationwide ban on vape sales before then, the national law would take precedence, and Perak’s transitional arrangements would no longer apply.
