Govt mulls complete ban on use of asbestos

 

Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad signing a copy of his book on the environment after the book launch in Kuala Lumpur today. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: 

The government is considering a proposal to fully ban the use of asbestos, a material still widely used in Malaysia despite concerns over its harmful health effects.

Natural resources and environmental sustainability minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the environment department is conducting a study on the use of industrial asbestos and its environmental and health impacts.

“We will assess how this issue is currently managed under existing legislation and policies. If there are gaps, we may need to improve them,” he told reporters after the launch of his book “Saving the Planet: Climate and Environmental Lessons from Malaysia and Beyond” here today.

A complete ban on all forms of asbestos was proposed in a memorandum to the government in July last year from the Consumers Association of Penang, which had made a similar call in May 2001.

Asbestos is a toxic substance that can cause lung cancer and its use has been banned in 69 countries, including Finland, Italy, Germany, Australia, Japan and Thailand, as of October 2022.

In 2006, the International Labour Organization recommended that all countries ban asbestos. - FMT