Only 10 E-cig Manufacturers Register in Malaysia Before Deadline

According to a report by Free Malaysia Today on May 6th, only 10 manufacturers of nicotine products, in liquid or gel form, registered their company information with the Malaysian Customs Department before the government-imposed deadline of April 30th.

Zazuli Johan, the Director-General of the Malaysian Customs Department, stated that seven of these companies are new manufacturers producing nicotine-based e-cigarette products, while the remaining three are existing manufacturers.

Starting from April 1st, the government imposed a consumption tax of MYR 0.40 (USD 0.09) per milliliter on e-cigarettes and products containing nicotine in liquid or gel form. By the end of April, local nicotine product manufacturers were required to register their information with the Customs Department.

Zazuli remarked that the registration situation was not ideal, as most e-cigarette liquids and e-cigarettes are imported. 

"We ask unregistered manufacturers to register before we take action," he said.

He also noted that the Customs Department will investigate unregistered local manufacturers producing nicotine-containing products.

The Customs Department will continue to monitor both importers and local manufacturers to ensure they correctly declare customs forms.

Previously, Malaysian media had exposed that some e-cigarette smugglers had reached "agreements" with the Customs Department to allow e-cigarette products to enter the country via sea and air routes. The Malaysian Customs Department stated that they would crack down on tobacco product smuggling, and e-cigarette smugglers would face severe legal sanctions once caught.