Kuala Lampur, Aug. 20 -- The global drumbeat for the circular economy grows louder, fuelled by the twin crises of resource scarcity and climate chaos.

Where extraction and disposal once defined progress, the new paradigm demands regeneration: keeping materials in use, designing out waste, and restoring natural systems.

For resource-rich Malaysia, poised at a pivotal development juncture, the question isn't whether to embrace circularity, but how urgently and how effectively. The uncomfortable truth? While the intent is emerging, true readiness remains a work in progress.

Why Malaysia isn't quite circular-ready yet. Decades of thriving on resource extraction and linear manufacturing have ingrained a "take-make-dispose" mentality.

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