The Selangor government would not compel retailers to provide alternatives in the form of non-plastic bags because it would defeat the purpose of the policy.

The state also did not collect the 20 sen levy charged to consumers by retailers for a plastic bag because the policy was not aimed to raise funds, Selangor executive council member Elizabeth Wong said.

Wong said this following criticisms over the move, which was said to profit retailers and burden consumers.

"Our aim is to reduce the use of plastic bags. We don't want to provide alternative bags because we want to educate consumers to bring their own bags.

"The proposal to replace the plastic bags with paper bags and so on does not meet the aim," she told reporters in Gombak today.

She said there had been a positive reaction to the plastic bag ban which started in Selangor on Jan 1.

This, despite various complaints to consumer groups over the matter.

Selangor had prior to this, only banned the issuance of plastic bags on Saturdays.

Those who still wanted plastic bags would need to pay 20 sen per bag, while retailers were encouraged to use the levy collected for corporate social responsibility projects.

The state did not audit how the levy was being used, unlike in Penang where the levy was passed on to the state to be used for welfare policy implementation.

The plastic bag ban was also imposed in the Federal Territories and Malacca.

Weighing in on the matter, Selangor PKR Youth, in a statement, lambasted the proposal by State Umno chief Noh Omar that no plastic bag be handed out at all as something that would inconvenience shoppers.

It argued that the 20 sen charge was an incentive for shoppers to remember to bring their own bags.

The state PKR Youth also rebutted Noh's claims that the government was making money out of the 20 sen charged per plastic bag, adding that it went direct into the retailers' coffers.

Meanwhile, Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali denied that the state's health scheme was rolled out just to win votes in the 14th general election.

He said the 'Skim Peduli Sihat' was introduced in reaction to the rising cost of living faced by Selangor residents.

The scheme allowed those in the bottom 40 percent of income earners to benefit from basic medical services at 1,000 registered clinics in the Klang Valley.

'Skim Peduli Sihat' card holders benefit up to RM500 in primary care services per household from registered clinics.

He said this was part of the various welfare schemes provided by the state including free water up to 20 cubic metres per month per household and free bus services for key routes.

"This is not the first welfare scheme we have introduced since taking over in 2008. They are rolled out in stages.

"I believe we are in a strong economic position and we should use the surplus for schemes like these," he said.