Hee Loy Sian said the Selangor government was instructing food outlets not to hand out plastic straws to patrons unless requested starting next year. — Picture by KE Ooi

SHAH ALAM, Dec 4 — The Selangor government will not impose a charge on plastic straws as it currently does with disposable bags, said a state official.

Environment, Green Technology, Consumer Affairs, Science, Technology and Innovation committee chairman Hee Loy Sian said the state was instead instructing food outlets not to hand these out unless requested starting next year.

“At the moment, we do not plan to impose a charge on the use of plastic straw.

“The implementation (not to serve straws by default) is in line with the federal government’s intention that food premises will no longer serve straws automatically,” he told state assembly today.

Hee added that the directive will apply to all food premises in the state and advised consumers to consider carrying their own reusable straws.

The Kajang assemblyman also said the state government intended to ban plastic bags entirely by 2030.

“I agree that 11 years (to become a free plastic state) is quite long. Therefore, the state government will try to (go ahead of that) make it by 2025 which is in six years’ time,” he added.

The remarks were part of his response to Bukit Lanjan assemblyman Elizabeth Wong.