THE plastic straw “ban” has been in effect in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan since Jan 1, and in Selangor since July 1, but apart from signs in eateries stating that straws are only available upon request, there has been no marked decline in the number of straws used and disposed of.
In many eateries, straws are given by default. When I asked the staff why, the response was that customers often scolded them and insisted on having straws. So, inserting straws by default would save them the additional trip to and from the drinks counter.
