Raising public awareness must take precedence over strict laws to tackle the growing food waste problem in Malaysia, say environmental experts.
Academy of Professors Malaysia (APM) Sustainability and Earth Health Cluster head Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Ibrahim Komoo said legal measures should only be implemented once the public understood the scale of the problem.
Malaysians currently discard some 17,000 tonnes of food daily.
He suggested a nationwide awareness campaign in collaboration with non-governmental organisations, alongside regulations targeting food traders, markets and restaurants.
Ibrahim also suggested the government adopt a “food circularity” model to manage the entire food chain, from production to waste.
This, he said, could help redistribute surplus food to the needy and support the composting industry.
He echoed concerns raised by Safe Communities Network chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye on Malaysia’s daily food waste at 16,688 tonnes, one of the highest in the region.
Lee called on action, including introducing a Food Waste Reduction Act to address the issue.
“Many countries already have laws and practices to reduce food waste,” Ibrahim told Bernama.
“We can learn from their experience and observe local behaviour before introducing further measures.”
Environmental activist Dr Mogesh Sababathy, a member of the National Climate Change Consultation Panel, said food waste should be seen as a governance crisis rather than just a waste management issue.
He said any proposed legislation should mandate waste reporting and define clear responsibilities for large-scale food operators.
“It should also include legal protection for safe food donations under a ‘Good Samaritan’ clause to encourage redistribution without the fear of liability.”
Mogesh said enforcement alone would fail without economic incentives, transparent data and a sustained push for behavioural change.
For the short term, he recommends mandatory food waste separation and standardised expiry labels to prevent disposal of edible items.
Long-term measures could include a “pay-as-you-throw” model and conversion of food waste into biogas to encourage a circular economy.
