Since 1 August 2025, vape may not be sold at business premises in Terengganu. The state kept its practice of not approving licences for vape premises, enforced a ban on sale through local authority by-laws under the Local Government Act 1976 (Act 171), and banned vape advertising statewide (New Straits Times and Free Malaysia Today, 24 April 2025). The state rule covers sale and advertising, and the federal rules under Act 852 apply there as in every state.
Terengganu is one of seven states that no longer license vape for sale, with Kelantan, Johor, Perlis, Pahang, Kedah and Perak (New Straits Times, 2 October 2025). Malaysia has 13 states. Federal law still permits regulated sale, subject to a May 2026 court ruling on nicotine liquid whose retail effect the Ministry of Health has not explained (see Where the law stands). No national ban bill has been published or tabled. Selangor is considering a ban and Sarawak has drafted a law, and neither is in force.
The position described here is as at 23 October 2026. The full register is on our State restrictions page.
Terengganu: what changed on 1 August 2025
The Terengganu state executive council agreed on 23 April 2025 to ban the sale of vape at business premises from 1 August 2025. Datuk Wan Sukairi Wan Abdullah, the state Local Government, Housing and Health Committee chairman, announced it the following day, with a grace period from 1 May to 31 July 2025 (New Straits Times and Free Malaysia Today, 24 April 2025). The state described it as a measure to curb the sale and use of vape, particularly among the younger generation.
Licence conditions were tightened, and breaches of the by-laws can lead to compounds, seizure of vape items and prosecution in court (Free Malaysia Today, 24 April 2025).
Act 852 already prohibits vape advertising nationwide (see Act 852 explained). Terengganu said advertising would also be banned in the state (The Star, 24 April 2025). When the ban took effect, the state said vape banners, advertisements and event sponsorships must be removed statewide. Traders had appealed for a postponement, and the state went ahead on 1 August 2025, saying they had been given enough time to clear their stock (The Sun, 6 August 2025).
None of the reports we hold describes a Terengganu rule on owning or using a vape. In February 2026 the General Operations Force and other enforcement agencies raided three locations in Kuala Terengganu and Jerteh, as part of an operation across Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu (Malay Mail, 11 February 2026). The report gives no Terengganu figure of its own, so we make no claim about how the ban has worked.
How a state restricts something the country permits
A state cannot repeal a federal law. What it can do is decline to issue or renew the business licence a shop needs to trade. Perak’s health committee chairman, Datuk A. Sivanesan, said where that power stops: “If we want to ban it entirely, we first need to amend the relevant Act.” (New Straits Times, 1 October 2025.)
Since 1 October 2024, Act 852 has prohibited sale to minors, online sale, vending machines and sale at educational institutions in every state. The Health Minister, Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad, said the Cabinet had decided to move towards a ban (The Star, 16 December 2025). That is a decision of direction, not a law, and it carries no date.
The May 2026 court ruling is the one federal caveat. On 15 May 2026 the Kuala Lumpur High Court declared the 2023 exemption of nicotine liquid and gel from the Poisons List irrational and ultra vires section 6 of the Poisons Act 1952. The court made declarations only: the 2023 order was not quashed and has not been repealed. The Government withdrew its appeal on 18 August 2026, so the ruling stands (see Where the law stands).
The seven states, in the order they acted
Kelantan
Kelantan’s local authorities have issued no licence for vape sale at any premises since 2013, the earliest state-level restriction. Enforcement still finds sale: the state reported 40 operations and 67 seizures in 2024, and 10 operations and 16 seizures from January to March 2025 (Bernama, 18 June 2025).
Johor
Johor has issued no vape sale licence since 1 January 2016, in line with a decree by the Sultan of Johor (New Straits Times, 24 November 2024). The Vibes reported on 17 October 2025 that a Johor Health Department operation at a city shopping mall had seized more than 1,900 vape-related products. Health committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said the ruling remained in force in all 16 local councils.
Terengganu
No sale at business premises since 1 August 2025, as set out above.
Perlis
Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli announced on 14 May 2025 that vape traders’ licences and business operations would be halted from 1 August 2025 (Bernama, 14 May 2025). The report’s first paragraph says 2 August; its headline says 1 August.
Pahang
The Pahang state executive council decided on 14 May 2025 to end vape sale, announced on 11 June 2025 (Free Malaysia Today, 11 June 2025). All 11 local authorities stopped issuing vape licences from August 2025, and sale has been prohibited from 1 January 2026 (New Straits Times, 31 December 2025). In February 2026 a joint operation led by the General Operations Force raided eight locations in Kuantan, part of an operation across Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu that seized more than RM3 million worth of vape products (Malay Mail, 11 February 2026). The report gives no Pahang total of its own.
Kedah
Kedah chose not to renew licences rather than impose an outright ban, as Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor announced on 14 May 2025 (Free Malaysia Today, 14 May 2025). Traders were given until December 2025, when most licences expired, with enforcement set for early 2026 (New Straits Times, 22 May 2025). We have not seen a 2026 report that enforcement has begun.
Perak
The Perak state executive council decided on 22 September 2025, and announced on 1 October 2025, that local authorities would issue no new vape sale licences and renew none from 1 January 2026, making Perak the seventh state to restrict sale (New Straits Times, 1 and 2 October 2025). Of 61 licences across 15 local authorities, 39 expired on 1 January 2026 and the other 22 were not to be renewed (MG Perak, 5 January 2026). Holders of unexpired licences were to stop selling by October 2026 (New Straits Times, 5 January 2026). As at 23 October 2026 we have not seen a report confirming that sales have ended.
An industry association and a vape retailer filed a judicial review in the Ipoh High Court on 18 March 2026, asking whether Perak acted beyond its powers. The state has entered an appearance and said it will file its defence (New Straits Times, 21 August 2026). No hearing date or decision has been reported.
Two states still deciding
Selangor
Selangor is considering a ban and has no sales restriction in force. In May 2025 the state committee chairman, Jamaliah Jamaluddin, said Selangor was moving towards a ban, with a decision expected in July 2025 (Malaysia Tribune, 19 May 2025). The same month, it ordered local councils to remove vape advertising under Act 852 (The Sun, 20 May 2025). No ban was decided. In written answers to the state assembly in November 2025, the state government said its policy paper on vape control was expected to be finalised in 2026, and that it would need to consider a separate state ban if no federal decision came in 2026. In the April 2026 sitting it said it was drafting that policy paper in line with the direction to be set by the Ministry of Health (Dewan Negeri Selangor, written answers of November 2025, November 2025 and April 2026).
Sarawak
Not in force. Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said on 4 July 2026 that the Sarawak government had agreed in principle to ban vape (Utusan Borneo, 4 July 2026). Her ministry has drafted a law covering both sale and use, and the State Cabinet asked it to consult enforcement agencies first. No date has been set (The Sun, 7 July 2026). An awareness campaign runs until November 2026, then goes back to the State Cabinet for evaluation (Dayak Daily, 7 July 2026). Sarawak is not counted among the seven.
What a licence refusal does and does not do
The enforcement records show vape still on sale in Kelantan and Johor, the two states with the longest restrictions. They do not measure how much illicit trade there is, or how many people vape in either state.
Concern for young people runs through the announcements, from Terengganu’s to Sarawak’s. MOVE accepts youth access as a real reason for a state to act, and we do not treat state governments as adversaries. Our concern is with the method. We respectfully believe that a patchwork of licence refusals moves supply to whoever does not need a licence, and loses the inspectable shop, the registered product and the counter staff who can be required to check an IC.
Our position is that access is what matters: no vape store within 1 km of a school, a clear sign at every vape store that under-18s may not enter, and an identity check at every sale. The rules for retailers are on Retail compliance. We do not sell any products.