KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 26): JT International Bhd (JTI Malaysia), one of the three largest tobacco companies in the country, has no plans to launch electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) or vape products in Malaysia, until regulations on vaping are fully in place, according to its managing director Juliana Mohd Yahaya.

Logic is the current vape product of Japan Tobacco International.

“We are not in a hurry. That’s because we launched Ploom, our heated tobacco product (HTP), in Malaysia in January this year. That is something we want to focus a bit more on,” she told reporters after revealing findings of the annual Illicit Cigarettes Study for 2024 commissioned by the Confederation of Malaysian Tobacco Manufacturers here on Wednesday.

“Also if you look at Malaysia’s vaping industry right now, it is not [fully] regulated yet. What we do not want is [for our vape products] to appeal to minors.

“Once all of the regulations are in place and [the industry is] brought under control, that's where we will consider that (launching vape products in Malaysia). We always make sure that we do our part. We are a responsible company, and we do not want to be selling our vape products to anyone under 18,” she added.

The Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 entered into force on Oct 1, 2024 to regulate tobacco and nicotine products, including e-cigarettes. However, regulations under the Act will be implemented in stages, starting with the mandatory registration of tobacco products by April this year. And from April, a ban on displaying tobacco and vape products will also be enforced for retailers of general shops.

“Also, if we have the regulations without the enforcement, our [vape] products may land on the hands of those under 18, and that's not good,” said Juliana.

“We would like to see whether the regulations will be enforced [well]. What is the enforcement going to be like? It's easy to talk about it, but in reality, whether that is going to happen or not, that's where the enforcement comes in,” she added.

She noted that Ploom had been well received among local users so far. “It performed better than what we expected, I guess, also thanks to the fact that HTPs are not a new category. If you look at the industry so far, there has been only one choice. But now, we have another alternative that we can give the consumers.”

Philip Morris (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd was the first to launch its HTP, IQOS, in 2018.

JTI Malaysia data showed that the cost per day for legal cigarettes is RM7.80 per pack, compared with RM3.90 for a pack of illicit cigarettes. Meanwhile, the cost per day for vapes ranges from RM2.80 for disposable vapes to RM6.60 for a closed-system vape.

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Malaysia’s illicit cigarette trade down for fourth straight year to 55% in 2024 — JTI