INTERACTIVE: What you need to know about Malaysia’s upcoming sugar tax hike
By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA : Malaysia, which is set to raise taxes on sugary drinks in Budget 2025, is one of 124 countries that have implemented a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB). According to the latest figures from the World Bank’s Global SSB Tax Database, 119 countries have imposed the SSB tax at the national level. Five other countries have implemented the tax at a sub-national level. Malaysia is one of six Asean countries with a sugar tax. The others are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, and Thailand. Malaysia currently imposes a tax of 50 sen per litre for three categories of beverages. They are carbonated, flavoured, and non-alcoholic drinks with more than 5 grams of sugar per 100ml; milk-based drinks with more than 7 grams of sugar per 100ml; and fruit and vegetable juices with more than 12 grams of sugar per 100ml. On September 10, Health Minister Datuk S