SEREMBAN: The Health Ministry has denied that removing nicotine from the Poisons Act 1953 is akin to gambling with the health of children.
Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the safety of children remained the ministry's priority.
She however declined to elaborate on the matter, saying that it is now a court case after several non-governmental organisations filed a judiciary review against the move.
"The case (removing nicotine from the Poisons list) is now in court. I do not wish to be prejudicial on the matter so we'll have to wait and see what the outcome is.
"Whatever it us, the ministry's priority is the health and safety of children, which are very important.
"It does not mean that by removing nicotine from the Poisons Act, we are saying that nicotine is no longer a poison and that we are neglecting the health of our children," she told reporters after officiating the launch of the Seremban Diabetes (SeDia) Cohort here on Saturday.
Zaliha was commenting on the ministry's move to remove nicotine from being classified as a poison under the Poisons Act 1952. The move had earned criticism from several NGOs.
Health experts had also called on the government to withdraw the move to exempt nicotine liquid for vape devices from the Poisons Act 1952 in the interest of children's safety and that of the next generation.
Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS) president, Prof Amrahi Buang, had previously urged the government to reject the suggestion to exempt liquid nicotine and nicotine gel from being listed in the Poisons Act 1952,
Amrahi, in a statement, had described the move as one that could endanger the health of the people and would not be in the country's best interest.