SELANGOR may soon impose a charge of up to RM1 for bags as the state government finalises its long-awaited ban on single-use plastics.
State public health and environment committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin said Selangor was in the final stages of drafting legislation to ensure there would be legal authority to act against those who failed to comply.
“The main focus now is completing the legislation.
“I was informed that the draft in Bahasa Malaysia has been completed, but we still need the English version before it can be finalised.
“That will take about a month.”
She said that once both versions were ready, the draft would be reviewed before finalisation.
“At the moment, we hope to see at least no plastic bag usage during weekends.
“Ultimately, legislation is what matters most to ensure proper enforcement,” she said after a flood-mitigation briefing session at Kampung Chempaka Community Hall in Kampung Sungai Ara, Petaling Jaya.
Jamaliah said the state government was still deliberating on the fee for plastic bags once the ban was enforced.
“Because Selangor has the highest population, we are considering between 50sen and RM1 per bag.
“Some say RM1 may be too burdensome, so we will look into it further,” she said.
Jamaliah added that Selangor would also monitor developments in other states before deciding on the most practical and realistic approach.
When asked about the timeline, she said the matter involved the state’s legal advisor and the drafting department.
“Hopefully, this will be finalised by year-end,” Jamaliah said.
