PUTRAJAYA: On March 30, 242 tonnes of electronic waste (e-waste) were seized at Port Klang by a special task force.
A few weeks earlier, the Customs Department seized 187 tonnes of e-waste at Northport.
And that’s barely the tip of the iceberg, says Tan Sri Azam Baki.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner said a large-scale, integrated operation will now be carried out e-waste already in the country.
The operation will be led by Bukit Aman’s Internal Security and Public Order Department (KDNKA).
The enforcement will target e-waste that has already passed through ports and is currently at factories and other premises nationwide.
Meanwhile, he said, more than 800 e-waste containers remain stranded at Port Klang.
“Disposal efforts are ongoing, including repatriation to source countries and lawful disposal involving multiple agencies,” he said, adding that monitoring will be expanded to other ports, including in Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Johor and Pahang.
“This issue is not just environmental, it is an economic crime and a matter of national sovereignty,” he said during the Multi-Agency Task Force (MATF): Way Forward engagement session at the MACC headquarters.
The director-general and deputy director-general of the Department of Environment (DOE) have been arrested and will be charged today over corruption in e-waste management.
Azam said investigations under Ops Metal revealed Malaysia had been used as a dumping ground for illegal waste from abroad, involving document falsification, cargo misdeclaration and abuse of import licences.
He added that elements of corruption within enforcement enabled the containers to pass through entry points.
The import of e-waste has been officially gazetted as an absolute prohibition effective April 1 under the Customs (Prohibition of Imports) Order 2023.
On plastic waste, Azam said engagements will be held with relevant agencies to assess the necessity and quota for imports.
Meanwhile, Azam said MATF operations recorded 3,523 arrests between 2023 and 2025, with RM6.87bil seized last year, reflecting Malaysia’s capability in tackling corruption and financial crimes.
He said major operations had dismantled large-scale syndicates across sectors, with asset recovery efforts contributing directly to national revenue.
“This sends a clear message that every misappropriated fund will be traced and returned to the country,” he said, adding that a whole-of-government approach is now essential to tackle increasingly complex crime.
