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M’sians Waste About 1kg of Food Daily, Govt May Introduce New Fine For It

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2 years ago

December 3, 2018

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Food wastage has always been a problem in Malaysia and to curb that issue, the government is now considering a new law on food wastage.

According to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the new law on food wastage will be formulated once the study is completed. This seems like a good idea!

Source: The Malay Mail

She added that the law is in efforts to put an end to Malaysians’ habit of food wasting. During the closing of the Malaysian Agriculture, Horticulture and Agro-Tourism Exhibition (MAHA) 2018, Dr Wan Azizah was quoted as saying,

“On an average, a Malaysian throws almost one kilogramme of food daily… As such, the government is studying carefully from various aspects the need to formulate the Food Waste Act.”

In the event which was also attended by Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Salahuddin Ayub, she reckoned that Malaysians will be “indirectly taught to appreciate food” and reduce food wastage too.

For illustration purposes | Source: Grub Street

Besides that, Dr Wan Azizah added that the government is also looking into imposing fines on customers who waste food at hotels and restaurants. On top of that, the government is also implementing the Malaysian Food Bank Programme to address food wastage in shopping centres.

The abovementioned programme, which will be implemented in early 2019, will be carried out through the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP).

Dr Wan Azizah explained that the programme will oversee that “food surplus” like bread, vegetables and fruits acquired from hypermarkets will be distributed accordingly to the needy.

“By not wasting food, I’m sure it will indirectly help to reduce the cost of living for the people,” she finally concluded.

For illustration purposes | Source: Clean Malaysia

The new law that the government will soon implement looks like a good initiative to help curb the food wastage issue in Malaysia. What do you think of this new possible law? Let us know in the comments below!

Also read: 3Mil KG of Edible Food is Thrown Away in M’sia Every Day, Enough to Feed 2 Million People