MCA: Reveal plans on how to deal with imported plastic waste

PETALING JAYA: MCA has urged the government to give clear and definite answers on its plans to deal with imported plastic garbage sent to the country.

Its president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (pic) chided Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin as well as Energy, Science, Tech­n­ology, En­­vi­­ron­ment and Clim­ate Change Min­is­­­­­­ter Yeo Bee Yin for their “inability to dischar­ge res­pon­sibi­lities competently”.

“It’s a shame because the govern­ment projec­ted itself to care for the environment but we continue to sit on this giant pile of rubbish imported to our country,” Dr Wee said in a statement yesterday.

He said this in reference to reports in February that Kuala Langat in Selangor stored some 17,000 tonnes of dumped waste shipped to Malaysia.

Dr Wee said MCA was shocked to learn from Zuraida that the government was unable to take a strong stand because the industry was worth RM3.5bil in Malaysia.

“She seems to be concerned with the industry more than the health of the people.

“The villagers in Jenjarom, Kuala Langat suffer from the waste and both federal and state governments have not lifted a finger,” he said.

Dr Wee added there was a lack of urgency on the issue, saying the ministries appeared to have given in to industry lobbyists.

He said this was unlike Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for his decisive action in ordering trash to be sent back to Canada.

Dr Wee said the Philippines had filed several diplomatic protests over the refuse, and even recalled its ambassador to Ottawa after Canada ignored a deadline to retrieve the rubbish.

“Over in Malaysia, our governments instead offer excuses, which MCA can only describe as ‘rubbish’.”