M'sia to send back 89 waste containers to three countries by year-end (Updated)

PETALING JAYA: Three countries have verbally agreed to take 89 containers of waste material back without any cost to Malaysia, says Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin.

"It will take at least six weeks for the documentation of these 89 containers to be completed," she said, declining to name the three countries.

"The process is tedious because there are international procedures to adhere to, as per the Basel Convention.

"We are committed to sending the waste back, no matter how complex the process or how complex the issue is."

Yeo said this when asked to comment on a report in The Star on Wednesday (Oct 2) on the large number of containers with waste material that were stuck in various ports in Malaysia because they had nowhere to go.

The report quoted an industry source as saying these containers were stuck because neither the senders from the country of origin nor the party that imported the material could be traced.

"This source is most likely hoping that the government will dispose of the waste here and sell it in Malaysia," said Yeo, adding that unreturned waste had been found in Port Klang, Penang and Sarawak.

"Don't hope (jangan harap) that will happen. We will send the waste back.

"To prevent such incidences in future, we will block the containers at port and make sure they – either the importer, exporter or country of origin – pay for the waste to go home," she said.

Meanwhile, since May this year, 21 containers loaded with waste material have been sent back to their countries of origin. These countries are Australia, Bangladesh, Spain and Saudi Arabia.

Yeo was speaking after witnessing the rebranding event of MCIS Life, the life insurer company formerly known as MCIS Insurance Bhd, at its office here.