KOTA SAMARAHAN, Apr 1: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRECC) is currently studying the drafting of legislation aimed at addressing plastic pollution in a comprehensive manner.
Its minister, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad remarked that current laws are fragmented and their implementation by local authorities is inconsistent, which is tailored to suit specific localities.
He noted that this situation renders nationwide efforts to combat plastic pollution ineffective, leading to other problems such as floods and microplastics in the food chain.
“We also understand that different places have different contexts, what can be implemented in Sarikei in Sarawak, Pensiangan in Sabah, or in Kuala Lumpur may differ in terms of speed.
“The first states to start charging for plastic bags was Selangor and Penang in 2009 or 2010, so it’s been over 10 years ago.
“So I think we need to reconsider whether we now need to move at the national level together to address this problem because the problem is becoming more widespread,” he said.
He was speaking to reporters after officiating the Path to Plastic Neutrality Program: Collaborative Actions and Innovative Solutions organized by the Yayasan Hijau with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) here today.
He added that one of the major challenges in Malaysia to reduce single-use plastic consumption is the informal sector, such as Ramadan bazaars and night markets which extensively use plastic.
Malaysia is among the top 10 countries in the world that dispose of the most plastic waste into the sea.
This finding is based on a survey conducted by Utility Bidder, a supplier of energy needs services in the United Kingdom (UK).
In the top 10 list, only the Philippines and Malaysia are countries from the Southeast Asian bloc, while others are from the African and South American regions.-TVS
