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| Southeast Asia | |
| To reduce carbon footprint, Malaysia mandates less A/C for govt offices | |
| 2023-08-26 | |
And to offset any discomfort that this may cause in the tropical country, the government has relaxed the employee dress code, giving civil servants the option to wear cooler — and more colorful — batik clothing to work on most days. Air conditioners in government offices and premises will now be set at 24-25 degrees Celsius (75-77 degrees Fahrenheit), Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, the minister of Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change, announced on Tuesday. "The decision that has been reached takes into consideration the climate of this country as well as the government’s commitment to achieving a net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions target as early as 2050," he said in a statement. "[It] is as part of the government’s efforts to save energy, and support energy efficiency initiatives while also stimulating the Malaysian batik industry. ... This commitment involves reducing the carbon footprint resulting from electricity consumption practices." The minister said that keeping in mind "local climate realities" — steamy and scorching weather — the government had given its employees leeway in what they could wear to work. Earlier, casual batik wear was allowed — encouraged, even — but only on Thursdays. "The Cabinet also agreed that all civil servants have the flexibility to wear batik attire during working hours, not limited to just Thursdays as previously practiced." Civil servants typically wear suits or a jacket in the office, as the air conditioning in government buildings is set very low, one civil servant, who did not wish to reveal her name for privacy reasons, told BenarNews. "I usually wear a pashmina to warm myself up in the office and meetings room, because I cannot stand the cold A/Cs," she said, referring to a shawl made of very fine cashmere wool. But in addition to changing the dress code, the Malaysian government has now also made it mandatory for civil servants to wear batik attire every Thursday, which previously was optional. "In order to continue supporting the Malaysian batik industry, and to ensure that it remains a heritage and a symbol of Malaysian identity, the government agreed that all public officials are required to wear Malaysian batik every Thursday, and are encouraged to wear it on other working days," said a government notice this week. Batik is the art of decorating fabric — cotton, silk or linen — using wax and dye, which has been practiced for centuries in parts of Asia, Africa and Europe, although it is said to have originated in Indonesia. Former Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob had a fondness for batik-print shirts and current Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is sometimes seen in one on more relaxed occasions. | |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #1 Leading by example. Who will audit the results and report to the public? Wait... not The Bee? |
| Posted by: Bobby 2023-08-26 06:57 |