KUALA LUMPUR: Foreign e-waste continues to find its way into the country under the pretext of being declared as “legitimate goods”.
Department of Environment (DOE) director-general Datuk Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar said the e-waste often ends up at illegal recycling factories that hire undocumented migrants.
Reiterating that importing e-waste into the country is prohibited, he said the containers laden with the banned goods are often declared as other items to hoodwink the authorities.
Wan Abdul Latiff said any e-waste shipments detected will be seized and sent back to the country of origin, and those involved can face prosecution.
He said the DOE regularly receives information from foreign sources when shipments of e-waste are sent to Malaysia.
“We will alert the Customs Department. On the arrival of such a shipment, a thorough inspection is carried out.
“If it is confirmed to contain prohibited e-waste, we will seek to have the container repatriated,” he said.
Last year, more than 430,000 tonnes of e-waste were shipped to Malaysia.
In February and July, the police conducted a special joint operation, known as Ops Hazard, aimed at combating illegal e-waste recycling activities.
Wan Abdul Latiff said the DOE had impounded illegal e-waste in the operation, and investigations are still ongoing.
He said 47 illegal premises were raided in the operation.
“In some cases, the importer could not be identified, or the shipment could not be sent back. Such seizures will be forfeited and later auctioned off to earn revenue for the government,” he said.
On another matter, Wan Abdul Latiff said the department takes seriously the existence of illegal dumping sites, some of which have refuse piled up to six metres high.
“All kinds of garbage, including toxic material, are dumped at the illegal sites. Then, it is set on fire and goes on burning for weeks, emitting toxic fumes and polluting the environment.
“This is why we must get rid of these dumping sites and act promptly,” he added.
