Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control calls for public inquiry over alleged RM50 million bribe linked to GEG removal

December 23, 2025
12:55 pm


Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control calls for public inquiry over alleged RM50 million bribe linked to GEG removal





KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control (MCTC) has called for an independent public inquiry following claims that a former health minister was offered a RM50 million inducement to remove the Generational End Game (GEG) provision from Malaysia’s anti-smoking legislation.
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MCTC president Professor Dr M. Murallitharan said the allegation, revealed by a former aide to Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa, raised serious concerns about the rule of law and public sector integrity, even though it was claimed that the offer was rejected.



“Any attempt to offer financial inducements to influence the content of legislation constitutes bribery, which is a serious criminal offence under Malaysian law,” he said.

“More troubling is the possibility that a failure to report an attempted bribe, even if rejected, may itself constitute an offence.”

The issue arose after G. Sivamalar, Dr Zaliha’s former political secretary, published an opinion piece praising the former minister’s integrity, in which she referred to the rejection of an alleged inducement to remove the GEG provision from the Bill.

Former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin later echoed Dr Murallitharan’s view that failure to report an attempted bribe could itself be an offence.
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However, earlier today Sivamalar lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to clarify public speculation stemming from the article, which mentioned pressure from tobacco lobbyists and alleged offers of up to RM50 million to drop the GEG provision.

She said her remarks had been taken out of context and added that there was no serious or explicit bribery offer.

Nonetheless, Dr Murallitharan said the allegations reinforced longstanding concerns about tobacco and vape industry interference in public health policymaking.

“Taken together with earlier reports of lobbying by vape industry representatives, these revelations point to a systemic and organised pattern of interference,” he said.

“This is no longer a matter of perception, but a clear public interest issue that warrants urgent and transparent investigation.”

He urged the authorities, including the MACC, to initiate a comprehensive public inquiry to identify the parties involved, examine how the alleged inducement was conveyed, determine why no report was lodged at the time, and assess the extent of industry influence on the legislative process.



He also called for the findings to be made public in the interest of transparency and accountability.

Dr Murallitharan said the controversy exposed structural weaknesses in protecting public policy from harmful industry influence. He urged the government to enact a Political Financing Act and to adopt a code of conduct aligned with Article 5.3 of the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, aimed at shielding public health policies from tobacco and vape industry interference.

“This issue is not merely about individuals but a test of the nation’s commitment to upholding the rule of law, the integrity of our political system, and Malaysia’s dedication to protecting public health and future generations,” he said.

“Failure to act decisively would send a dangerous message that attempted bribery and industry interference can occur without consequence.”

The Control of Tobacco Products and Smoking Bill 2022 prohibited, among other things, the sale and use of all smoking products, including electronic cigarettes and vaping devices, to individuals born on or after Jan 1, 2007.

The Bill was tabled by Khairy on July 27, 2022, for its first reading, before being referred to the Parliamentary Special Select Committee for refinement.

The GEG provision was later removed from the legislation, which was passed into law in late 2023 as part of efforts to reduce smoking and vaping among future generations.