Minister Arthur Kurup says Malaysia reviewing asbestos ban, updates expected in coming months.
CYBERJAYA: The government is aware of growing calls to ban asbestos and is reviewing the matter, with updates expected in the coming months, says Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup (pic).
“We are aware of it, and more information will be provided on it in the coming months,” he told reporters after addressing the ministry’s New Year assembly.
The newly appointed minister added that any changes requiring amendments to the law would need to be tabled in Parliament.
“But if it is just a revision of guidelines, it can be released immediately once a decision has been made,” he explained.
Arthur’s remarks follow appeals from several NGOs and a workers’ union urging a total asbestos ban.
In a recent joint statement, Building and Wood Workers’ International, the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP), Sahabat Alam Malaysia, and the Health and Safety Advisory Centre (Hasac) called for urgent action, highlighting that a comprehensive ban has been delayed for decades.
The groups also noted Arthur’s experience as a former World Trade Organisation trade and legal officer and as deputy minister in the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), saying it puts him in a strong position to resist industry lobbying.
They urged him to implement a ban within the current parliamentary term and to hold urgent meetings with unions.
CAP has long campaigned for a total ban, but previous efforts have stalled.
Last year, former minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the government was studying the health and environmental impacts of industrial asbestos use, reviewing legislation, and considering a total ban.
To this day, no further updates have been issued by the ministry.
theSun also reported last year, citing experts who warned that even two decades after Malaysia partially banned asbestos in government buildings, the material is still widely used in private construction and industrial sectors.
The experts said that without urgent, coordinated action, vulnerable communities remain at risk of serious health consequences.
Asbestos is a hazardous material linked to lung cancer and is commonly used in construction.
As of Oct 2022, its use had been banned in 69 countries, including Finland, Italy, Germany, Australia, Japan, and Thailand.
In 2006, the International Labour Organisation called on all nations to implement a complete asbestos ban.
