THE Department of Environment (JAS) has taken action against 44 illegal e-waste processing factories as of December 31 last year, according to Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
In a statement issued today, the minister revealed that eight of the factories were ordered to cease operations, while legal action is ongoing against the remaining 36 under the Environmental Quality Act 1974 (AKAS 1974).
Nik Nazmi further addressed recent media reports about a factory illegally processing bullet casings, stating that authorities had taken action by suspending operations under Section 38(1)(a) of the same Act. Investigations are underway, and a case file will be prepared for prosecution.
The minister explained that the investigation was conducted under Section 18 of AKAS 1974, as the facility was found to be an off-site storage location for scheduled waste without the necessary license from JAS.
Additionally, the factory failed to submit an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report under Section 34A and improperly stored scheduled waste without approval from the Director-General of Environment, as stipulated under Section 34B.
On February 15, reports emerged about a police raid on an e-waste processing plant in Selangor, where 50 tons of bullets and casings were seized, believed to be illegally melted down.
Nik Nazmi also reaffirmed the government's commitment to ensuring that Malaysia does not become a dumping ground or transit point for e-waste from developed nations.
This commitment aligns with the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, which mandates that the cross-border movement of scheduled waste, such as e-waste, must be approved before transit, transshipment, import, or export activities occur.
Under the Basel Convention, any e-waste crossing borders must comply with the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure, and any importation without this consent is considered illegal under Article 9.
Furthermore, the convention requires that exporting countries take back the goods within 30 days if the importation occurs without the proper approvals. – February 18, 2025
