KUALA TERENGGANU (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Terengganu will ban the sale and usage of electronic-cigarettes in the state starting Jan 1, following the state fatwa council's decision to declare vaping "haram" or forbidden.

This was announced through a text message by the state secretary Datuk Osman Muda.

Osman said the decision was made after the state government agreed with the council's ruling that e-cigarette or vape is "haram".

He said the state government and local authorities would have a meeting with vape traders on Jan 3 to explain the ban.

He did not mention the penalty for offenders.

E-cigarettes were on Dec 21 declared "haram" for Muslims by Malaysia's National Fatwa Council.

"From the syariah aspect, it is detrimental to health. Islam forbids its followers from using things that can harm them directly or indirectly; immediately or gradually that can lead to death, damage the body, result in dangerous illnesses or harm the mind," its chairman Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Abdul Shukor Husin was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.

"E-cigarettes and vapes are categorised as repulsive due to its harming effects and smell bad.

"They also have an element of wastage, which is by spending money on things that are harmful and non-beneficial," he added.

He said using e-cigarette could be equated to drinking poison and smoking conventional cigarettes.

"We are seeing women and school children showing interest in vape. The decision is made to prevent an unhealthy culture from spreading to future generations," he added.

The council chairman also urged all Malaysian states that had yet to issue a fatwa on e-cigarettes and vapes to use the National Fatwa Council's decision as reference.

Besides Terengganu, four other states -Penang, Kedah, Johor and Kelantan - have also banned vapes.