Johari said the decision was made at a meeting of environment ministers and state executive councillors responsible for the environment.

He was responding in a parliamentary reply to Ngeh Koo Ham (PH-Beruas), who asked about the government’s efforts to curtail microplastics in the environment.

Johari noted that under the Roadmap Towards Zero Single-Use Plastics 2018-2030, the government has already implemented a 20 sen pollution charge on single-use plastic bags at all permanent business premises.

“This charge is based on the user-pays principle to prevent and discourage the use of single-use plastics and their unregulated disposal, and to reduce microplastic pollution,” he said.

“The implementation of this ban will improve upon this pollution charge.”