Lai Cheng – Consumers Association Penang

“Fix What Breaks, Don’t Throw”

Lai Cheng October 2, 2025 0 Comments

PUBLIC PARKS PROMOTE REPAIR CULTURE In the Netherlands, public parks are adding a charming yet impactful feature – miniature “repair corners” tucked beside benches, garden walls, and community centres. These corners are equipped with small toolboxes containing basic items like sewing kits, screwdrivers, pliers, glue, and tape. Above them hangs a simple sign with a powerful message: fix...

TOXIC LEAD FOUND IN LIPSTICKS

Lai Cheng October 1, 2025 0 Comments

Toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition (EWC) in the Philippines has issued an alert on lipsticks that are heavily contaminated with lead, a neuro and reproductive toxicant, which can have damaging effects on the health of women, as well as children. This follows the issuance of 6 advisories by health authorities there warning the public against the purchase and use of imported Qianxiu...

A Strong Call for Climate Justice

Lai Cheng October 1, 2025 0 Comments

SINKING INDONESIAN ISLAND SUES CLIMATE POLLUTERS A crucial preliminary court hearing took place in a lawsuit filed by four Pulau Pari residents against Holcim, the Swiss cement giant, according to The Guardian. The residents of this 4-km-long island, which is just about 3 metres above sea level and has already lost 11% of its land underwater, filed the civil lawsuit at a Swiss court in July...

Implementing UPOV 1991 Violates the Federal Constitution and Will Create Conflicts with National Laws

Lai Cheng September 30, 2025 0 Comments

Forum Kedaulatan Makanan Malaysia (FKMM) urgently raises the alarm that, despite widespread objections from farmers and civil society organisations, the Ministry of Agriculture continues to push for Malaysia to accede to the 1991 Act of the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV 1991). UPOV 1991 is a draconian international agreement that threatens to hand...

WALK – AND SHARPEN YOUR MIND

Lai Cheng September 30, 2025 0 Comments

A simple exercise like walking increases the size of your brain. Having a sedentary lifestyle is basically a slow death sentence. The groundbreaking study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers found that adults who walked for 40 minutes, 3 times a week, for a year experienced growth in the hippocampus – a region of the brain crucial for spatial...

Green Action Week 2025

Lai Cheng September 30, 2025 0 Comments

The Seed of Change: A FAMILY’S JOURNEY WITH CAP Sometimes change begins with the smallest spark. For me, that spark was lit about 12 years ago, when I attended my first programme by the Consumer Association of Penang (CAP). It was an eye-opening session that made me see ordinary things in a completely new light. For the first time, I understood the hidden effects of everyday items like white...

Yes to prescribing medicine by its generic name

Lai Cheng September 29, 2025 0 Comments

A recent policy circular issued by a third-party administrator (TPA) responsible for handling private health insurance claims instructed doctors to prescribe medicine by indicating the active ingredients of medicines only, commonly known as the generic name. This has triggered discussion, particularly within the private healthcare sector. The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) is concerned...

New Food Safety Concerns

Lai Cheng September 29, 2025 0 Comments

PLASTICS FOUND INSIDE VEGETABLE TISSUES Plastic pollution is not only a problem for oceans and wildlife. It may also be affecting the very food we eat. A new study highlights how nanoplastics can penetrate crops, raising questions about food safety and human health. Researchers have now shown that some of the smallest plastic particles can move into edible vegetable tissues. Using radishes as...

GREEN ACTION WEEK 2025: Break Free from Plastic

Lai Cheng September 29, 2025 0 Comments

“A Meaningful Initiative that Benefits Everyone” Cik Nur Nadia Zafirah, a teacher from SMK Methodist Girls, Penang shares her experience of attending CAP’s recent Green Action Week (GAW) event: “Through this programme, I gained valuable knowledge, especially on effective ways to reduce plastic usage while adopting natural and sustainable alternatives. “I was already aware of the...

THE EMPTY JAR THEORY

Lai Cheng September 29, 2025 0 Comments

(Pearls of Wisdom) Life is like a jar. Every single day, you choose what fills it. The big rocks are what truly matter – your health, your relationships, your purpose, your growth. The pebbles are the smaller goals, tasks, and commitments. The sand is everything else – the distractions, the noise, the endless busywork. When you start with the sand, there’s no room left for the rocks. But...

Author: Lai Cheng