SHAH ALAM, Dec 18 – The Selangor state government will be holding a special workshop early next year to discuss the effects of vaping especially on the health of the younger generation, said Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali. He said the decision on whether to ban vaping in Selangor depended on the findings of the deliberations to be headed by State Health, Entrepreneur Development, Science, Technology and Innovation Committee chairman Dr Daroyah Alwi.
“The workshop will be participated by representatives from the Health Ministry, youth organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to look into the effects of vaping on the health of consumers,” he told reporters after chairing the Selangor Economic Action Council meeting at the state secretariat building here Thursday.
“The state government will not take any hasty action (to ban vaping) without first obtaining feedback and views from various professional parties including doctors and youths. We do not want to create any social shortcoming on the usage of vape if it is not handled properly,” he said.
He was asked if Selangor would follow in the footsteps of Johor and Kelantan in banning electronic cigarette or vape early next year. In another development, Mohamed Azmin dismissed allegations by Malaysian Youth Solidarity Movement (SAMM) chief coordinator Badrul Hisham Shaharin that a RM45 million logging project was handed over to two companies without going through the tender process.
He said all procurement processes in Selangor are carried out through open tender since 2008. Meanwhile, he said that the Menteri Besar is not involved in the tender process. Badrul Hisham was reported as saying that a timber project to clear a forested area for an electric transmission line project by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) at Sungai Terentang, Rawang and Mahkota Cheras was awarded to the two companies without due process.
