By Sofia Nasir
CYBERJAYA, Oct 24 — The government has taken a bold and strategic step for long-term benefits by raising the excise duty on sugary drinks starting next year.
Former health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the move will not only curb sugar consumption but also reduce the risk of diabetes.
“The idea of a sugar tax is not new; we’ve proposed this for a while. The government has now taken a wise and courageous action to combat diabetes,” he told reporters.
Earlier, Dr Hisham, who is also the Chancellor of University of Cyberjaya, delivered the keynote address at the Selangor Public Health Conference 2024, here, today.
He also suggested that the revenue from the increased tax should be channelled back to the Health Ministry for prevention programmes.
During the Budget 2025 tabling, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced a phased increase of 40 sen per litre in excise duty on sugary drinks, starting January 1 next year.
He said this is part of efforts to control diabetes and tackle obesity, with Malaysia having one of the highest obesity rates in Southeast Asia.
On a separate matter, Dr Hisham urged the public to maintain self-health measures as a preventive approach to monkeypox (Mpox) infection in the country, despite it remaining under control.
“I observe that Mpox is still manageable because its transmission occurs through contact. If we can control our borders, we can prevent its spread, and it does not spread as fast as Covid-19.
“We can take precautions such as handwashing, avoiding crowded places, and wearing face masks. There have been a few reported Mpox cases, but they have not spread like Covid-19,” he told reporters later.
Yesterday, German health authorities reported a new Mpox Clade 1b variant infection involving a 33-year-old man returning from Africa.
Last month, the Health Ministry confirmed a positive Mpox Clade II case, bringing the total to 10 cases since July 26.
