In a joint statement, Building and Wood Workers’ International, the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP), Sahabat Alam Malaysia and the Health and Safety Advisory Centre (Hasac) said Kurup should move quickly to finalise a comprehensive ban that had been delayed for decades.
They said his background as a former World Trade Organization trade and legal officer, as well as a former deputy science, technology and innovation minister, placed him in a strong position to counter industry lobbying.
They also urged Kurup to finalise and instill a total asbestos ban within the current parliamentary term before 2027, and to convene an urgent stakeholder meeting with unions.
They likewise called for a whole-of-government approach led by the ministry, highlighting risks linked to the Water Sector Transformation 2040 agenda involving the replacement of ageing asbestos-cement water pipes.
The groups said a total ban would strengthen worker safety and public health while allowing Malaysia to lead Asean on occupational health.
They said while Malaysia had partially banned amphibole asbestos in 1999, it continued to allow the “controlled use” of chrysotile, or white asbestos, leaving the material embedded in supply chains, workplaces and homes.
Citing the World Health Organization and International Labour Organization, the groups said there was no safe level of asbestos exposure, and that asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma had long latency periods, or the time that passes between exposure to a cause of disease and the appearance of symptoms.
Also citing numbers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, they said 27 asbestos-related cases were reported in Malaysia in 2022, with projections nearly doubling by 2045.
They said economic arguments in favour of asbestos were misleading, quoting studies estimating that for every US$1 (RM4.06) spent on asbestos consumption, the economy absorbs nearly US$4 in healthcare costs, rehabilitation and lost productivity.
The groups said past efforts to impose a full ban, including in 2014, were derailed by industry pressure, prolonging health risks for workers and consumers.
CAP and Hasac called for the ban nearly a year ago, describing it as a progressive step to protect public health.