Siti Hasmah: Best practices on waste management vital

There is a need for all countries to share best practices on waste management through various platforms to ensure a sustainable environment and economic growth, said the Prime Minister’s wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali.

“We have to start early. We need to educate our children, at home and school.

“We also need to remind ourselves to walk the talk.

“We have the responsibility to practise what we preach.

“We need to work closely together on waste management through various platforms,” she said during the interactive session on “Sharing Best Practices in Waste Management” as part of the spouse official programme in conjunction with the 35th Asean Summit and Related Summits here yesterday.

Also present were the Thai Prime Minister’s wife, Assoc Prof Naraporn Chan-o-cha, and the Malaysian Foreign Minister’s wife, Norlin Shamsul Bahri.

Dr Siti Hasmah said Malaysia was committed to implementing effective waste management which was relevant to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

The country, she added, took a stringent measure with the launch of the Roadmap Towards Zero Single-Use Plastics 2018-2030 to combat the potential threats posed by plastic waste.

“Our vision is that by 2030, Malaysia will be free from single-use plastics.

“This campaign demonstrated the Malaysian government’s seriousness and commitment in addressing environmental issues towards a resilient and sustainable nation,” she said.

Malaysia spends nearly RM1.6bil a year to collect solid waste and public cleansing.

With such high and the everincreasing cost of managing waste, the country needs to review its current practices and modify accordingly to become more efficient and productive.