Malaysia's own government scientists have been measuring what is in the country's water — and the results are a direct argument for eliminating unnecessary plastic from daily life. Research led by the National Water Research Institute of Malaysia (NAHRIM) found that microplastic concentrations in major river basins ranged from 179.6 to 4,541.4 particles per litre on average. These are not trace amounts.
What NAHRIM's river research found
Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof, speaking at Malaysia's First National Microplastics Seminar in July 2024, outlined the scope of the problem. NAHRIM's research covers major river basins — Sungai Langat, Sungai Kelantan, Sungai Klang, and Sungai Sarawak — and looks at microplastics alongside other "new pollutants": endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Fadillah highlighted that microplastics enter the river system through surface water runoff, wastewater effluents (treated and untreated), industrial effluents, and decomposed plastic waste — all of which are tied directly to how Malaysia manages its solid waste.
BPA: the chemical concern
NAHRIM director-general Mohd Zaki Mat Amin explained the chemical pathway: as plastics degrade, "they release chemical compounds such as bisphenol A or BPA that could pose serious health risks to anything ingesting it, which will then come back to humans as we eat seafood."
BPA is an endocrine disruptor — a chemical that interferes with the body's hormonal system. It has been linked in research to metabolic disorders including obesity and type 2 diabetes, reproductive issues and fertility problems, early puberty, and increased risk of certain hormone-sensitive cancers.
Separate research noted in Putrajaya's drinking water found up to 3.8ng/L of pharmaceutical concentrations in daily water samples — indicating the contamination of water sources extends beyond microplastics alone.
The government's response
Fadillah confirmed in July 2024 that an inter-ministerial committee would be formed to standardise the approach to new pollutants across all relevant ministries and local authorities. "We need to standardise this through a committee to ensure a consolidated approach," he stated during Minister's Question Time.
Minister Nik Nazmi separately confirmed the government was in discussions with the Economy Ministry to develop a formal national plastic policy — signalling that the current patchwork of state-level bans and federal campaigns will eventually be replaced by a unified legal framework.
The simplest upstream intervention
NAHRIM's research underlines that the most effective way to reduce microplastic contamination in waterways is to stop plastic waste from entering them in the first place. Every conventional plastic bag that ends up in a drain or river — which millions do — is a future source of microplastic particles. Switching to certified compostable bags removes that risk entirely: plant-based compostable materials do not produce microplastics when they degrade.
