GSM 5131 Business Law & Ethics Lecturer: Dr Tengku Naufal Tengku Mansor Case Study 2 : The White

e Coffin Dilemma

Aminah, is an environment quality senior manager of Good Food Packaging Suppliers Sdn Bhd (hereinafter referred to as the Company), a wholesale food packaging and food storage suppliers having its manufacturing plant in Seri Kembangan, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Among others, the Company manufactures polystyrene, plastic and foam food containers distributed all over Malaysia, with a market share of 38% of the Malaysian market. For the past 8 years, the Company has been positively growing by doubling up its revenue on year-to year basis. Recently, Aminah was advised by a friend who happens to be an environmental sustainability activist in a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) called The White Coffin base in Penang, fighting for the banning of polystyrene and plastic food containers usage by the consumers. According to Aminahs friend, recent research has shown that polystyrene will provide adverse effect to human health due to styrene migration to the human body especially in the case of hot and oily food. Upon obtaining the facts and advise, Aminah is now very much concern with her position and the Companys source of income as manufacturing and distribution of polystyrene and plastic food containers is indeed the biggest contributor to the Companys annual revenue. The management of the Company has been notified through various discussion with Aminah, but majority of them decided to just close one eye, as there is yet to be a clear legal regulations issued by the respective authority. They also instructed Aminah not to reveal any of the facts pertaining to the adverse effect of styrene elements on human body to anyone, particularly to the media. Apart from the fact that the Company is fully aware of the negative impact of polystyrene, they cannot and/or refused to decide on the white coffin issue as it will to a certain extent, jeopardize the Companys ability to sustain its performance this year. Aminah is very much concern on the issue and she is now divided in between, whether to put more pressure on the Company or just keep her mouth shut and hope that the government will do something about it. Aminah was thinking of reporting the matter to the respective Ministry and obtain their advice on the matter, but at the same time she is also worried about her position in the Company. Analyze the facts of the above situation and provide your views on the relevant legal/ethical issues arising therein.

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