Natural resources and environmental sustainability minister Arthur Joseph Kurup says he will provide an update in the coming months.
“We are aware of it, and it is currently being reviewed. We will provide more information in the next few months,” he told reporters after delivering the ministry’s New Year message here.
Kurup said if changes require legal amendments, they would be tabled in Parliament, while revisions to guidelines could be implemented immediately.
On Jan 9, several NGOs and civil groups, including Building and Wood Workers’ International and the Consumers’ Association of Penang, urged the government to enforce a total asbestos ban before 2027 and convene an urgent stakeholders meeting.
The groups cited health and safety risks linked to the Water Sector Transformation 2040 agenda, which involves replacing ageing asbestos-cement water pipes, and said a full ban would enhance worker safety and public health.
Asbestos is a toxic substance known to cause lung cancer. Its use has been banned in 69 countries, including Finland, Italy, Germany, Australia, Japan, and Thailand as of October 2022, according to the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS).
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has recommended since 2006 that all countries implement a complete asbestos ban.
Separately, Kurup highlighted key achievements from last year, including the enforcement of the Environmental Quality (Amendment) Act 2024, which introduced fines of up to RM10 million and mandatory jail terms for serious environmental crimes.
He also said that the ministry exceeded its target of planting 100 million trees ahead of schedule, gazetted more than 350,000 hectares of new protected areas, and shut down 1,352 illegal hunting operations worth RM413 million, with over 1,100 people arrested.
Kurup stressed that 2026 would shift the ministry’s focus from planning to implementation.
“We no longer have the luxury of prolonged discussion, and the people want to see tangible results from the foundations that have been laid,” he said. - FMT
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