Photo: FB Page of Arthur Joseph Kurup

The Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI), the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP), Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM), and the Health and Safety Advisory Centre (HASAC) welcome the appointment of YB Dato’ Sri Arthur Joseph Kurup as the new Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES). We call on the Minister to finalise a comprehensive ban on all asbestos in Malaysia.

Malaysia’s struggle to ban asbestos has spanned decades. Since the 1980s, unions and civil society have sounded the alarm on this deadly carcinogen, often confronting fierce resistance from a powerful industry lobby. Although Malaysia partially banned amphibole asbestos in 1999, the policy of “controlled use” for chrysotile (white asbestos) has allowed the hazardous material to remain embedded in supply chains, workplaces, and homes. Past attempts, most notably in 2014, were derailed by corporate interests that prioritised profit over human lives, leaving workers and consumers vulnerable for another decade. We are here to ensure that history does not repeat itself.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) have been unequivocal for years: there is no safe level of asbestos exposure.

Asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma, carry long latency periods, and the numbers in Malaysia are rising: 27 cases were reported in 2022, with projections nearly doubling by 2045. The economic justification for asbestos is a myth. For every USD1 spent on asbestos consumption, the economy has to absorb USD3 in healthcare costs, rehabilitation, and lost productivity due to asbestos-related diseases. Meanwhile, thousands of workers in construction, maintenance, waste management, and utilities face daily exposure to legacy asbestos.

We applaud the Malaysian government’s bold commitment, since last year, to review a comprehensive ban on asbestos. We specifically extend our gratitude to former NRES Minister YB Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad for his leadership in initiating this critical shift and the Ministry’s establishment of the National Committee on Hazardous Chemicals Governance. His tenure laid the groundwork for a safer Malaysia. Now, we look to Minister YB Arthur Joseph Kurup to complete the mission.

New Minister YB Arthur Joseph Kurup brings a unique and powerful blend of legal, economic, and scientific experience to this portfolio. As a former Trade and Legal Officer at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and former Deputy Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI), he is uniquely positioned to dismantle the "economic fallacy" often used by the asbestos lobby. We are confident he will understand that the long-term economic burden of healthcare far outweighs any industrial convenience.

We call on YB Arthur Joseph Kurup to make the total asbestos ban his signature reform. By prioritizing public health over corporate profit, he has the opportunity to establish himself as a visionary leader who delivered one of the most significant environmental health victories in Malaysia's history.

The Road to 2027 to restore momentum and ensure worker safety and public health, we issue these core demands to the new Minister:

1. Prioritise the Ban as Top Reform: The phase-out and total ban must be finalised and implemented within this parliamentary term, specifically before 2027.
2. Convene a Stakeholder Meeting Immediately: We call for an urgent meeting between the Ministry and trade unions, and civil society organisations to align on the technical roadmap for the ban.
3. Resist Industry Lobbying: The Minister must stand firm against pressure from the asbestos industry and protect his Ministry officers from intimidation. His legal background serves as a shield to ensure that science and human rights, not industry harassment, dictate national policy.
4. Stand Up as the Central Coordinator: A successful ban requires a "whole-of-government" approach, with MNRES as the central coordinator. With the Water Sector Transformation 2040 (WST2040) agenda aiming to replace aging infrastructure, including thousands of kilometres of asbestos-cement water pipes, the risk of fibre release during the removal and disposal of asbestos waste is imminent. Therefore, inter-departmental collaboration is vital. We must ensure that every contractor involved in this massive infrastructure overhaul is equipped with the knowledge and technical capability to handle, remove, and dispose of legacy asbestos safely.

This is not just a national issue. By enacting a total ban, Malaysia will emerge as a leader in occupational health within ASEAN, setting a gold standard for our neighbours and elevating Malaysia’s standing on the global stage.