Few could have anticipated the volatile socioeconomic circumstances we find ourselves in amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in a year which has, for a good three decades, captivated the hearts and imaginations of the Malaysian public ever since the launch of Wawasan 2020 way back in 1991. The events that have transpired in the past months – the lockdowns, “new normal” working cultures, creation of overnight billionaires, and the rise of the face mask as both a precious commodity and fashion statement – have provided unexpected plot twists to the narratives of what Malaysia was envisioned to be in 2020.

COVID-19 has taken a significant toll on the world at large, and alongside its health risks came a slew of other unique challenges for Malaysia, with the critical shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) featuring prominently during the height of the pandemic. This culminated in an announcement on 13 April 2020 by the Director-General of the Ministry of Health (MOH), stating that Malaysia had only two weeks’ worth of PPE supply for public health workers on the frontlines and therefore encouraged donations and contributions from all parties, specifically urging for increased local production to reduce reliance on imports.

In response, the Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA) jumpstarted an initiative to leverage existing infrastructure and technical capacities to locally produce PPE through industrial repurposing of resources and factory operations. As most PPE are made of non-woven plastic material, MPMA, along with its partners, devised an innovative methodology involving the diversion of existing production lines and undertaking of non-typical activities by its association members and partners to rapidly produce high-quality PPE that could be utilised by MOH immediately. 

With support from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) and MOH, MPMA began ramping up production of various key PPE items such as jumpsuits, isolation gowns, boot covers, head covers/hoods, face shields, and medical aprons during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period for distribution to various hospitals and medical centres as determined by MOH. As a result, MPMA is now capable of producing 5 million pieces of PPE per month, exceeding the estimated amount required by MOH of 3 million pieces per month during the peak of the pandemic. 

Recognising the immense value this initiative brings to the country both from a present and post-recovery perspective, UNDP partnered with MPMA to (i) contribute financial resources to further support MPMA’s capacity to improve national PPE self-sufficiency, and (ii) conduct a study on the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 on the plastics manufacturing industry which aims to assess the industry’s adaptability to COVID-19 challenges. This partnership opens the door for potential collaborative work on themes around crisis resilience, sustainable consumption and production, and plastics management issues, among others.

MPMA’s response to this crisis is not only a demonstration of the innovative and enterprising capabilities of local Malaysian industries and SMEs, but also a display of unity and selflessness among parties willing to put aside personal agendas towards solving a national predicament. And while COVID-19 continues to cast a dispiriting gloom over Malaysia in what was supposed to be a milestone year, it is in initiatives such as these where glimpses of the Wawasan 2020 vision are clearly tangible, offering hope for the country to rebound successfully and to Build Back Better.