By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Nov 19: British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Bhd (BAT Malaysia) will raise the prices of its cigarette brands starting Nov 21, in line with the excise duty hike announced under Budget 2026.
In a statement on Tuesday (Nov 18), BAT Malaysia stated that the adjustment has been approved by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and covers several major brands under the group.
Effective Friday, Nov 12, 2025, the new retail prices are as follows: Dunhill at RM18.20, Benson & Hedges at RM18.40, Peter Stuyvesant at RM16.70, KYO at RM14.00, Rothmans at RM12.90 and Luckies at RM12.40.
BAT Malaysia managing director Nedal Salem said the company views the government’s move as a “step in the right direction”, noting that the last excise duty change was a decade ago despite current economic pressures.
“We note that significant increases in cigarette prices have historically contributed to the expansion of the tobacco black market, which currently accounts for 54 per cent of total cigarette consumption in Malaysia. The illegal market poses a serious threat to public health objectives, safety and government revenue,” he said.
Nedal commended enforcement agencies for their strengthened efforts throughout 2025, highlighted by the Prime Minister’s announcement that anti–illicit trade operations have saved RM15.5 billion over the past two years.
He added that the recent RM700 million allocation to bolster enforcement is an encouraging sign of the government’s commitment.
“We fully support the government’s ongoing initiatives and enforcement actions to address this long-standing issue,” he said, urging Malaysians to support the legal market by purchasing only legitimate products and reporting illegal cigarette sales through the JomLapor website.
“We thank our consumers and partners for their continued support as we work together to combat the tobacco black market and ensure a sustainable legal tobacco industry,” he added. — DayakDaily
