Plain tobacco packaging ruled out in Malaysia – for the moment

Malaysia’s health ministry has no plans to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes, according to a story in The Star quoting the deputy minister, Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin.

“The Ministry supports the action of the Australian government in implementing the plain packaging as a move to reduce smoking there,” she said in answering a question in parliament.

“However, we have no intention at the present moment to follow suit in view of the dispute between the Australian government and the tobacco industry at the international level.”

The deputy minister said that comprehensive studies carried out by the Australian government had showed that branding and packaging of tobacco products could influence consumers, particularly young people, to smoke.

She added, however, that such warnings were effective only in respect of new smokers – not those who were regular smokers.