JTI not rushing to launch e-cigarettes in Malaysia
Malaysia’s Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 has been implemented in stages since it was first introduced last October, setting out what is and is not allowed in the sale and use of tobacco and nicotine products. The next phase will t
Malaysia’s Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 has been implemented in phases since it was first introduced in October last year, setting out what can and cannot be done in the sale and use of tobacco and nicotine products. The next phase will take effect in April, when the display of all tobacco and e-cigarette products at retail stores will be banned.
At a meeting this week, Juliana Mohd Yahaya, managing director of JT International (JTI Malaysia), was asked whether Japan Tobacco would soon launch the company’s signature e-cigarette device, Ploom, in the Malaysian market.
“We are not in a hurry,” she said. “If you look at Malaysia’s current vaping industry, you will see that it is not yet fully regulated. We do not want our vaping products to attract minors.”
“Once all regulations are in place and [the industry] is under control, we will consider [launching vaping products in Malaysia]. We are a responsible company, and we do not want to sell our vaping products to anyone under 18.”
Juliana said that until then, Japan Tobacco is happy to focus on promoting its heated tobacco product (HNB), Ploom, which was launched in Malaysia in January.
“I think [Ploom] is performing better than we expected, partly because HNB is not a new category,” she said. “If you look at the industry so far, there has only been one option [Philip Morris’s IQOS]. But now, we can offer consumers another choice.”
