Malaysian tobacco threat "real, but not immediate"

Gavin Lipsith

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The country's health ministry denies that a ban proposal has been issued to the finance ministry, but the industry must stay alert

Malaysia's health ministry has responded to reports of a proposal to ban duty-free tobacco sales, telling The Malaysia Star that it has not passed a proposal on to the finance ministry. But industry campaigners have warned against complacency and said the statement can be taken as confirmation that the health ministry has been considering a proposal.

European Travel Retail Confederation secretary-general Keith Spinks told RavenFox.com that the news was both good and bad. "It's good because the threat is not immediate, but bad because it tells us that the health ministry is thinking of making a proposal," said Spinks. "But the most worrying thing of all is that, like in South Africa last October, the local trade has heard about the threat through the media."

Spinks reiterated his plea for travel retailers to make attempts to find out their local governments position regarding duty-free. "The industry must be prepared for these proposals before, not after, they arise."