Held in Kuala Lumpur on the 23rd of July 2025
Less than two weeks before the resumed fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to prepare an legally binding instrument to address plastic pollution across the full lifecycle of plastic, C4 Center, Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP), Environmental Protection Society Malaysia (EPSM), Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM), Zero Waste Malaysia and Zero Waste Sabah met and delivered a memorandum to Members of Parliaments (MPs), calling for high ambition from Malaysia at the Global Plastic Treaty negotiations, urging the MPs to bring the voices of the people to the Prime Minister and cabinet.
The memorandum garnered support of over 100 signatories from a wide range of interests/disciplines including marine and ocean conservation groups, community organisations such as resident associations and Indigenous Peoples’ organisations, businesses impacted by plastic pollution such as island resorts, hawkers associations and sustainable solution businesses. The memorandum handover was attended by civil society organisation (CSO) representatives from CAP, Zero Waste Malaysia, SAM including representatives from sustainable businesses such as KitaRefill and Refiller Mobile Enterprise.
YB Lee Chean Chung (MP Petaling Jaya), YB Datuk Willie Anak Mongin (MP Puncak Borneo) and YB Dato’ Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi (MP Kuala Langat) came out to receive the memorandum. Kuala Langat is an area badly affected by pollution caused by imported plastic and electronic waste. He shared his thoughts on how the treaty is a chance for Malaysia to lead the region as the ASEAN Chair with a firm and aspirational voice in protecting the health of Malaysians and the environment from the plastic crisis. YB Lee added that while Malaysia does not want to be the world’s rubbish bin, we also need to tackle our own generation of plastic waste through systemic changes away from single-use plastics.
