August 2025 – Page 3 – Consumers Association Penang

Plastics Treaty Talks End in ‘Abject Failure’ as US, Other Big Oil Allies Sabotage Progress

Lai Cheng August 18, 2025 0 Comments

"The vast majority of governments want a strong agreement, yet a handful of bad actors were allowed to use process to drive such ambition into the ground," said one environmentalist. Negotiators in Geneva adjourned what was expected to be the final round of plastics treaty negotiations on Friday without reaching an agreement, a failure that environmentalists blamed on the Trump-led United...

ROPE CANOPY BRIDGES

Lai Cheng August 15, 2025 0 Comments

A Simple Way to Protect Tree Animals from Roadkill Rope bridges – “monkey bridges” stretching above roads and highways – help tree-dwelling animals cross safely between treetops. Some countries like Sri Lanka, are now using such rope canopy bridges to let monkeys and squirrels cross safely, reducing roadkill and keeping the animals’ forest routes connected. These canopy links not only...

Focus on Real Issues, Not Honest Mistakes

Lai Cheng August 14, 2025 0 Comments

The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) urges Malaysians not to be drawn into unnecessary outrage over the recent incident of the Malaysian flag being accidentally displayed upside down. The person responsible has acknowledged the mistake and issued an apology. That should be sufficient. It is deeply troubling when such matters are seized upon and politicised, turning an honest error into an...

CHILDREN NEED MENTAL PLAY TOO

Lai Cheng August 13, 2025 0 Comments

Play isn’t just running, jumping, or building with friends... It can look like sitting still, watching quietly, or thinking through an idea no one else can see. A child observing shadows, replaying a memory, or creating a story in their head is still playing. The learning is real, even when we can’t see it. But this kind of play often gets dismissed, says We Skoolhouse, which guides and...

NOT A MIRROR OF REALITY – Online Isn’t Real

Lai Cheng August 13, 2025 0 Comments

Don’t believe everything you see on online. That perfect picture, polished look, or flawless portrayal of people you see online, particularly on social media, is not truly representative of real life. What’s presented is a curated, idealised version of beauty or reality. Nothing on social media shows the full, or real story. As has been wisely pointed out: There are people with 5 likes that...

EXCESS BODY WEIGHT CAN AFFECT YOUR KNEES

Lai Cheng August 11, 2025 0 Comments

Obesity and overweight can affect health in many ways. But do you know: Excess body weight can also wreak havoc on your knees. Osteoarthritis, also called wear-and-tear arthritis – is a condition in which the cartilage or natural cushioning between joints wears away. This causes the joints to rub more closely against one another since there are fewer shock-absorbing benefits of cartilage....

PHONE BOOTH GARDEN

Lai Cheng August 11, 2025 0 Comments

Repurposing Old Infrastructure for Public Good In Austria, creativity and sustainability come together in a charming project that transforms old, unused phone booths into free public mini-greenhouses. Once vital for communication, these booths were left abandoned in the age of mobile phones – but instead of being scrapped, they are now repurposed into small glass gardens filled with herbs,...

Carbon offsetting projects run the risk of becoming a new form of landgrab

Lai Cheng August 8, 2025 0 Comments

In conjunction with the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples that will fall on August 9, SAM would like to call on the federal and state governments to ensure that indigenous customary territories in the country are not included in any carbon offsetting projects, without the free, prior and informed (FPIC) consent of impacted communities. Central to this call is the principle...

WASTEFUL FASHION

Lai Cheng August 8, 2025 0 Comments

Do you know: A garbage truck load of clothes is dumped or burned every second. That’s the equivalent of 92 million tonnes of textile waste pile-up yearly. This wasteful system is harming people and the planet. It's time to rethink fashion and #BeatWastePollution. Source: UN Environment Programme

Ensuring Equity and Accountability in the 13th Malaysia Plan

Lai Cheng August 6, 2025 0 Comments

The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) welcomes some segments of the 13th Malaysia Plan, such as those addressing key issues such as stagnated wages, affordable housing, transportation, healthcare and food sustainability. While the initiative is commendable for aiming to improve the living standards of those in the B40 and M40 income groups, the government must ensure close monitoring of...

Consumers Association Penang

Month: August 2025