KUALA LUMPUR, 18 August 2026 – Pertubuhan Transformasi Dayak or Dayak Transformation Association (TRADA), a youth and community advocacy group, is voicing its full support for enforcement agencies tackling the illegal cigarette trade in Malaysia, while calling for stronger policy tools and public information measures to complement the efforts already being made on the ground.

The comments follow a string of recent enforcement actions in East Malaysia, which has amongthe highest illicit cigarettes incidences rate in the country, at 74.8% in Sarawak and 75.9% in Sabah, according to the Nielsen IQ ICS May report..

In August, Royal Malaysian Customs Department and Indonesia’s Directorate General of Customs and Excise launched joint border operations in Sabah, seizing smuggled cigarettes off inTawau and arresting two men believed to be masterminds of a cross-border smuggling network, while in Lahad Datu, the General Operations Force(GOF) detained 21 individuals and seized goods worth more than RM3 million, across 16 raids, including a case where its Intelligence Division intercepted a car carrying smuggled cigarettes. JKDM raids on abandoned houses in Sibu in June uncovered 490,000 cigarette sticks worth RM1.21 million, while in Sandakan, a council enforcement officer was beaten by illegal sellers at a public market in March this year, a stark reminder of the risks these officers face on the ground.

TRADA Stands with Enforcement Officers

“When our enforcement officers are physically attacked for doing their duty, this tells us how embedded this trade has become. Our enforcement officers continue to enforce the law despite this, and they deserve our respect and our full backing. They are active, they are taking action, and they need the right support to see results that last, despite the national illicit rate climbing from 54.4% in 2025 to 56.2% in May 2026. TRADA stands with them,” said Joseph Anak Janting, President and Founder of TRADA.

A nationwide consumer perception survey by Wawasanex found that 99% of respondents described illegal cigarettes as easy or very easy to obtain, and 83.8% reporting purchases at kedairuncit and Kedai Aceh. The data confirms the scale of the challenge facing enforcement agencies across East Malaysia.

He added, “Enforcement agencies, especially those in Sabah and Sarawak, are doing their best under difficult conditions: long borders, difficult terrain and a deeply entrenched trade. What the numbers tell us is that the challenge is bigger than any one agency can resolve alone. TRADA is calling on all relevant parties to give our enforcement officers the tools, the policy support and the information resources they need to finish the job.”

Among the measures TRADA is calling for is the public release of the Ministry of Health’s registry of legally registered cigarette brands, maintained under the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024. An accessible public registry would give enforcement officers, retailers and consumers a common official reference and close a gap that is currently being exploited.

“One practical step that costs very little is making the Ministry of Health’s registry of legal cigarette brands publicly accessible. Our enforcement agencies, our retailers and our communities deserve a clear, official reference. We are asking MOH to release this list progressively as products are approved. It is a tool that supports everyone doing the right thing,” he said.

“Our enforcement agencies are in the field every day, doing work that matters. TRADA’s message this Merdeka is simple: we see you, we support you, and we will keep asking for the policies and tools that give your efforts the best chance of lasting success. A Malaysia where the rule of law reaches every corner of the country, including the markets of Sabah and Sarawak, is a Merdeka worth celebrating,” Joseph concluded.