PUTRAJAYA – The Department of Environment (DOE) will strengthen its monitoring and enforcement of e-waste imports to prevent Malaysia from being used as a transit or disposal site from developed countries.
Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said from January to November, 31 of the 59 containers DOE detained in collaboration with the Royal Malaysian Customs Department carried e-waste.
DOE had issued 18 notifications under Section 31 and Section 37 of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 to return the containers to their country of origin for carrying items containing e-waste without obtaining prior approval.
“To date, 19 containers have been returned to their countries of origin such as the United States, Spain, Australia, Belgium and Japan,” he said in a statement following an operation to combat e-waste trading in Port Klang, Selangor today.
Based on the Basel Convention on The Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, all scheduled cross-border movements of electronic and other wastes must have prior approval before any transit, transshipment, import and export activities are carried out.
Nik Nazmi said based on the Royal Malaysian Customs Department’s information, three other containers that were inspected at the West Port, Klang on December 8 also contained waste materials imported from the US and Spain.
“The waste materials are used computer hardware and wires which are categorised as electrical and electronic waste (SW 110).
“The inspection found that the importer had declared the goods as aluminum scrap to evade the authorities,” he said and added that a notice of instruction would be issued to the importing company to return the containers to their country of origin.
He said strict action will be taken against importers who fail to comply with the regulations including sending back the imported e-waste containers to their country of origin in accordance with Article 9 of the Basel Convention.
“Malaysia has a good and close relationship with members of the Basel Convention in combating the illegal importation of scheduled waste across borders.
“I would also like to emphasise that any attempt by agents, shipping companies to import e-waste into Malaysia will be severely penalised,” he said. – Bernama, December 15, 2022
