The Malaysian government will require all shopping malls nationwide to have recycling facilities starting January 1, 2026, as a condition for business licence approvals. This mandate, announced by Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming, is part of the country’s broader efforts under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) to boost recycling rates, in line with national targets and initiatives like the “trash to cash” and “waste to energy” agenda. The move will be supported by the nationwide rollout of separation at source, aiming to accelerate Malaysia’s progress towards recycling rates comparable to the European Union’s 65% benchmark.
To promote recycling and sustainable waste management, the government will also enhance drive-thru recycling centers and step up public awareness campaigns, focusing on the “rethink, reuse, reduce, recycle” concept, starting with educational activities in schools. Minister Nga highlighted Malaysia’s ambition to catch up with advanced countries by introducing more recycling facilities across commercial and public areas and increasing the frequency of waste collection from two or three times a week to four.
Waste-to-energy initiatives are a key part of the policy direction, with Malaysia set to adopt advanced international technologies to ensure sustainability. Nga cited the example of the Ladang Merah plant in Port Dickson, which currently provides enough power for 15,000 homes, and envisioned each state having a waste-to-energy plant to reduce reliance on coal. In line with public cleansing reforms, the government will introduce an electric vehicle fleet for garbage trucks to move toward a zero-carbon economy by 2035, launch night cleaning to minimize traffic disruption, and implement deep cleansing using water jets in high-priority areas.
Additionally, the first phase of night cleaning will be piloted in tourism hotspots, such as Bukit Bintang and Jalan Alor in Kuala Lumpur, following successful models from cities like Shanghai and Shenzhen. Other reforms include delivering one million sustainable, affordable homes over ten years through the Perumahan Madani initiative and maintaining a focus on improving cleanliness, sustainability, and overall quality of life for all Malaysians under the 13MP.
(Source: The Sun)
