KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government has jointly organised a symposium to look into solutions to plastic management.
The symposium was jointly organised by the Local Government and Housing Ministry and WWF-Malaysia, with support from the Sabah CSO-SDG Alliance.
Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam said the "No Plastic in Nature" event gathered stakeholders to share information, views and initiatives related to plastic management.
"I hope that through the cooperation of all parties, we can develop more sustainable intervention strategies that focus on managing and reducing plastic waste, and preventing plastic leakage into the environment.
"Plastic pollution threatens the environment and has a profound effect on every aspect of life, including the health of ecosystems and the wellbeing of communities.
"Many areas that were once pristine are now contaminated with waste. In the oceans, plastic floats and covers the coral reefs, and our beaches and islands are littered with plastic.
"This not only pollutes the environment but also negatively impacts Sabah's image as a world-class tourist destination," he said at the opening of the symposium at a hotel here.
Dr Joachim, who is also state deputy chief minister, said an integrated effort was needed to strengthen and enhance laws and policies to effectively address the issue of plastic pollution in Sabah.
He added that resolving the issue of plastic pollution required collaboration from all parties, including the government, non-governmental organisations, the private sector, communities and other stakeholders.
He urged the public not to take this issue lightly and to understand that the responsibility for tackling plastic pollution lied with every individual.
"Only through collective effort can Sabah achieve its goal of becoming a plastic pollution-free state."
Present were the ministry's undersecretary (development) Johnny Samson, WWF Malaysia senior conservation director Dr Henry Chan and Sabah CSO-SDG Alliance chairman Ruth Yap.