IPOH – The Pengkalan Hulu Jamek Mosque is the first mosque in Perak to impose a ban on single-use plastic for food and drinks.
Consumer Association of Penang (CAP) senior education officer N. V. Subbarow said the ban was the result of a special awareness programme carried out by mosque committee members with CAP on the negative effects of using such materials.
“The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah recently advised against using single-use plastics and does not condone Malaysians, especially students, using single-use plastic packaging for food and drinks as plastic not only does not biodegrade but slowly changes into microplastics.
“It does not only harm marine life, but microplastics release toxic chemicals that ultimately move up to the atmosphere, plant life and animal tissue,” he said in a statement here today.
A total of 50 people, including congregants of the mosque, locals and civil servants attended the awareness programme at the mosque.
Subbarow said single-use plastics commonly used by the public include straws, disposable cutlery, plastic bags and bottles.
“Don’t use shopping bags made of plastic but cloth or paper bags and use your own tumbler when purchasing drinks at shops that encourage reusable containers,” he said, adding that such efforts should be expanded to all levels so that it creates awareness that leads to a healthy lifestyle among Malaysians. – March 1, 2024