Contrary to popular knowledge, Lim Kok Boon said that the Malaysian
Plastics Manufacturers Association and Malaysian Petrochemicals
Association-Plastic Resins Producers Group has reason to believe that
studies (mostly government-backed) have proven that there is no
justification to the claim that plastics is detrimental to human
health. He maintained that the allegation that high-density
polyethylene (HDPE) plastic bags, used mostly to pack hot or cold
beverages and food, are unsafe is misleading.
All these and a host of other 'proof' were revealed in a letter to NST
(3 August). This was in a response to another letter "How safe are
these bags" which condemns the use of plastic bags in school canteens
written by Dr Zorina Khalid from Sandakan (NST July 23) .
Last month, the Penang State Government took the initiative to reduce
the use of plastic bags in a state-wide campaign banning its use in
supermarkets and hypermarkets in Penang every Monday. The "No Plastic
Bags Day" kicked off on July 6, with the Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng
going out on a road tour to officiate the campaign proper in major
hypermarkets in the state.
However, on July 14 the Star carried a report that MPMA was against the
move (No to 'No Plastic Bags Days' ). The MPMA also sent in a memorandum
to Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng to reconsider its decision of making
Monday a "No Plastic Bag Day". It said instead of banning the use of
plastic bags every Monday, the state government could consider the 3Rs
(reduce, reuse, recycle) campaign. Mr Lim Kok Boon, representing the
organisation also did not think the current initiative was the answer
to a greener environment.
During a public forum on April 19, Lim Guan Eng said the state
government had discussed and considered the pros and cons before making
the decision to reduce the use of plastic bags every Monday. "We do not
completely ban the use of plastic bags on Monday, we just want to
reduce it to save the environment," he said. Lim said Penang was the
first state in the country to come out with the idea in a bid to become
Malaysia's first "green" state. (Bernama, July 13).
On a related matter, today, (4 August ) NST carries a report on singer
Zainal Abidin from the popular band Headwind announcing his intention
to set up a 'green' political party which concentrates on environmental
and humanitarian issues. He and his friends - environmentalists who did
not want to be named - were dead serious about setting up the political
party. Zainal said the group was concerned that the authorities "could
not even take the simple step of banning the use of plastic bags".
"We don't want to rule the country. What we want is just one seat in
Parliament to make a difference and the necessary noise to make a
change in such issues," he said at the launch of the Climate Change
Convention 2010 themed "101 ways to save and make a change".
So, if this 'green' party do materialises and members of the party get
nominated to contest in the next GE, lets vote for Zainal and his
friends, names or no names.
Go, Go GREEN!
Imagining Zainal campaigning, singing his flagship song 'Hijau' at the beginning of his speech.Posted By
USM CAMPUS NEWS to USM Campus News at 8/04/2009 09:17:00 AM
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While all the environmental gurus and 'green' aficionados in Malaysia are hell bent about banning the use of plastics, one personality from the plastic industry, Lim Kok Boon of the Malaysian Plastics Manufacturer Association (MPMA) and chairman of the The Malaysian Plastics Forum is going the opposite direction to prove his detractor's 'wrong' stance about its harmfulness.
