Beginning April 1, Malaysian retailers will not be able to display tobacco products in open displays, but instead must keep them hidden from view in closed cabinets. Act 832, the Smoking Products Control Act for Public Health 2024, covers regulations on the registration, sale, packaging, labeling, and use of tobacco products in public places, as well as the display of them in retail outlets. The Act became law Oct. 1, 2024, but retailers were given a grace period which ends in April.
Officials from Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Selangor have been communicating with retailers about the upcoming change in enforcement.
“Since Act 852 came into effect, the Health Department has visited retail shops selling cigarettes and tobacco products,” said Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif. “They have provided explanations and announcements to the sellers, such as at convenience stores.”
Penang health committee chairman Daniel Gooi Zi Sen said the state Health Department will monitor stalls to ensure they don’t display smoking products at retail outlets.
“Individuals can be fined from RM500 up to RM30,000 ($112 to $6,750), while organizations may be slapped with up to RM300,000 ($67,500) in fines, or jailed,” he said. “Retailers can only use designated signboards to show the availability of cigarette or vaping products and the prices. Certain specialized stores are allowed to display smoking products, but must prominently feature warning signs.”
