Gov't considers national law to tackle plastic waste pollution

PORT KLANG: The government is considering introducing national-level legislation under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) to tackle plastic waste pollution, said Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

He said the move is part of the ministry's efforts to manage plastic waste more sustainably.

He said current legal controls and enforcement are limited to local authorities (PBT) and do not constitute a comprehensive policy.

"Right now, we rely heavily on laws or regulations at the PBT level, which is insufficient. That is why we are looking into whether we can implement this (under 13MP)," he told reporters after launching the Mobula 8 Waste Collection Vessel here today.

Nik Nazmi said plastic waste pollution will also be discussed as part of Malaysia's 2025 ASEAN chairmanship.

He added that besides Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines have also been facing an influx of plastic waste from abroad since China tightened regulations to halt the purchase of nearly all plastic waste in January 2018.

"This issue will also be discussed at the ASEAN level because plastic waste pollution is not just Malaysia's problem," he said.

Nik Nazmi welcomed the donation of the Mobula 8 Waste Collection Vessel by The SeaCleaners, a Swiss non-governmental organisation (NGO), to the Marine Research Foundation as part of efforts to reduce the serious impact of plastic pollution in the country.

He said the vessel will be deployed in Kota Kinabalu in the near future.

"This is a positive initiative in tackling marine pollution. A similar effort is also being carried out by the NGO The Ocean Cleanup in collaboration with the Selangor government to clean up Sungai Klang," he added.

-- BERNAMA