PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said he agrees in principle with raising tobacco taxes.
He was responding to calls for the government to review tobacco duties.
“I agree with the spirit of that proposal. I myself not only do not smoke, but also fully support anti-smoking campaigns,” he told reporters when asked about the matter.
In 2015, Malaysia raised the excise duty on tobacco by 42.8 per cent.
Together with the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the overall tax on cigarettes increased from 28 sen per stick in 2014 to 40 sen in 2015.
Since then, tobacco taxes have not been revised.
In Budget 2024, Anwar’s administration introduced a 5 per cent excise duty on chewing tobacco, but left cigarette taxes unchanged.
In May, a Merdeka Center survey found that two-thirds of Malaysians support higher cigarette taxes, provided they are implemented moderately and predictably.
The survey revealed that 66 per cent backed a tax hike, 25 per cent opposed it, and nine per cent were unsure.
Support was strongest among those aged 21 to 30, with over 84 per cent in favour, while opposition was highest among respondents aged 51 to 60.
