KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 — Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek has warned that teachers caught smoking cigarettes or using electronic cigarettes (vapes) on school grounds face fines of up to RM10,000 or a maximum two-year jail term.
She said the Ministry of Education (MOE) will not tolerate such behaviour, especially when done in public or in front of students, as it breaches the Malaysian Teacher Standard (SGM).
“This act not only tarnishes the image of the teaching profession, but also sets a negative example for students. The MOE takes this matter seriously and will act firmly,” she said in a written reply published on Parliament’s official website yesterday.
She was responding to Nurul Amin Hamid (PN-Padang Terap), who had asked about measures to curb vape use among students following claims that some teachers were also using it openly.
The ministry is revising the Education (School Discipline) Regulations to explicitly ban cigarettes, electronic devices and vape liquids in schools, in line with the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024, which took effect on Oct 1 last year.
The Act also prohibits sales to those under 18 and targets premises selling vape within 40 metres of school grounds.
Fadhlina said the ministry continues to enforce earlier circulars that ban vaping in schools and declare them smoke-free zones.
She urged parents, guardians, local councils and the community to monitor sales and purchases by students, and to watch for behavioural changes that could indicate addiction.
