KUALA LUMPUR: As part of Malaysia's continued efforts to crackdown on smoking, the government has introduced new price controls on cigarettes. The new regulations, which went into affect on Saturday, make the minimum price for a pack of 20 cigarettes at RM7, and they have also pulled any packs without the minimum 20 cigarettes from the shelves. It ends efforts by some manufacturers to promote smaller packs of cigarettes at reduced rates. That is a thing of the past for Malaysia. Many anti-tobacco groups in the country have praised the moves, but said the government “should continue to follow up on the campaign with more stringent measures.” The Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control described the price control mechanism as not the sole yardstick to get smokers to kick the habit. “Maybe this will mean that poor people can no longer afford certain brands but the rich will still buy cigarettes,” said council chairman Molly Cheah in a statement. Last month, a Malaysia consumer protection organization has called on the government to follow Australia's steps and establish a new law on cigarette packaging. The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) urged the government to crackdown on cigarette packaging in an effort to help spur changes in smoking rates in the country. CAP president S.M. Mohamed Idris said the move “made by Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard [and] was bold in the interest of the people and country despite criticisms from giant tobacco companies." He added that the new law “should be practiced in the country because it is reported that more than 10,000 people die due to cigarette smoking each year." The law under the “Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011′′ to be effective in Australia in December required that no logo is displayed on the cigarette box, which would be replaced with a health warning.
