Public health advocates have urged Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad to explain the ministry’s alleged proposal to again exempt liquid nicotine used in vape products from the Poisons List, less than a year after the High Court ruled the delisting illegal.

The calls for clarity came after health portal CodeBlue yesterday reported that Dzulkefly’s “imminent exemption order” for the addictive substance was backed by the Poisons Board, which is said to have held a secret ballot on the matter.

The alleged order, if gazetted, could contradict Dzulkefly’s previous stance supporting a ban against vape products, with the minister noting in August 2025 that a cabinet memorandum on the matter will be tabled by the end of last year.