Wrong to equate plastics with smoking, says activist

Activist Shariffa Sabrina Syed Akil says drastic action is needed to discourage the use of plastic bags. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: The Selangor government has come under fire from an environmental group over its refusal to close down plastic factories in the state despite its “no plastic bag” campaign.

Shariffa Sabrina Syed Akil, president of Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam, said if the state truly wanted to be rid of plastic bags, it should ban factories producing plastics.

Yesterday, Selangor executive councillor Hee Loy Sian said the state would not be shutting down plastic factories, equating the “no plastic bag” drive to Putrajaya’s smoke-free campaign.

“It is like cigarettes: we ban smoking but we still allow factories to manufacture cigarettes, so do not turn this into an issue,” he told the state assembly.

However, Shariffa Sabrina said plastics could not be equated with cigarettes.

“The dumping of plastics will pollute the earth for hundreds or thousands of years, but a smoker brings harm only to himself.

“If we want the people to stop using plastic bags, then a drastic approach is needed because many people are irresponsible,” she told FMT.

Another environmental activist, Anthony Tan, questioned whether it was acceptable for Malaysia to produce and export plastic bags when the government wants to ban plastic straws and bags by 2030.

“Many countries have started to ban single-use plastics and this will lead to business decisions, whether to continue their use or not.”

He said the government and local authorities must clearly state the cut-off dates for allowing the use of plastic bags and straws, and that all factories must meet environmental standards. - FMT