KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 18): Authorities in capital Kuala Lumpur will no longer issue licences to vape traders, following in the footsteps of Johor and Kelantan.

Ibrahim Yussof, director of the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) licensing and petty traders department, told The Malaysian Insider that it had stopped accepting applications from retailers, in effect, banning the sale of the smoking alternative in the federal territory.

“DBKL will not accept any application from vape traders and will not be issuing licenses. One trader's application recently got rejected,” Ibrahim said in a WhatsApp message to The Malaysian Insider today.

Ibrahim added that DBKL's top management was still discussing what should be done to existing retailers.

This follows recent moves by Johor and Kelantan to do the same.

Johor authorities have banned the sale of e-cigarettes after Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar ordered the closure of vape outlets effective January 1.

In Kelantan, Datuk Abdul Fattah Mahmood, chairman of the local government, housing and sports committee, was reported saying that 350 operators in the state had 14 days, starting December 16, to close their businesses.

Following raids by the Health Ministry on vape stores last month, the Malaysian Organisation of Vape Entities sought a meeting with the Domestic Trade, Co-operatives, and Consumerism Ministry on ways to regulate the sale and use of e-cigarettes.

But it is not clear what the outcome of that meeting is as the current position in different states on vaping is directed by local authorities.