PUTRAJAYA: Five ewaste facilities that failed to comply with the Environmental Quality Act 1974 have been subjected to equipment operation suspension (POK) under Section 38(1)(a) of the Act, says the Environment Department.
Its director-general Datuk Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaafar said the action was taken to prevent ongoing pollution that could harm the health of residents living near Segamat Industrial Area 2 in Johor.
He said these premises processed various types of waste, including lithium batteries, aluminium dross, ewaste and cables contaminated with scheduled waste.
“(The Environment Department is) also in the process of completing investigation papers for legal action against these five premises,” he said in a statement, Bernama reported.
This enforcement action follows investigations conducted on July 16 and Aug 12 in response to 17 complaints received from residents in the area regarding odour pollution and illegal ewaste factory operations.
Wan Abdul Latiff said if convicted, the owners of these five premises could face severe penalties under the Act, including fines of up to RM250,000 or a jail term of up to five years or both under Section 18(1).
Additionally, under Section 34A(6), they could face imprisonment of up to five years and fines ranging from RM100,000 to RM1mil.
He said the department would continue to monitor the industrial area to identify any premises that might still be processing scheduled waste without approval.
Recently, it was reported that certain facilities are said to be operating to dissolve, process and melt smuggled ewaste without adhering to required specifications.
The recycling plants involved are suspected of operating without a valid permit or licence from the Environment Department to manage the ewaste processing operation.
