BANGI: Malaysia is preparing to amend the Environmental Quality Act to give enforcement officers stronger powers to tackle illegal electronic waste (e-waste), particularly at ports and border entry points.
Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup said the move is necessary as the country continues to face the risk of becoming a destination for illegal e-waste shipments.
He said further amendments to the Environmental Quality Act are also being prepared and are expected to be tabled in Parliament in early 2027.
“We are strengthening the law so that enforcement officers will have more powers to act.
“This issue is receiving global attention. We will not allow Malaysia to become a dumping ground for electronic waste,” he said on Wednesday (April 15).
He stressed that enforcement at ports and entry points must be further strengthened.
“Enforcement at ports must be strengthened because this is the main entry point for illegal e-waste,” he said.
Arthur said stronger cooperation between agencies is also being implemented.
“We are working closely with the police, the Customs Department and the Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) through joint enforcement operations,” he said.
However, he said, manpower constraints remain a major challenge for the Environment Department (DOE).
“We need more officers because the workload is increasing, especially at ports and industrial areas,” he said.
To address this, the DOES proposes establishing dedicated enforcement teams at selected ports nationwide.
“We are proposing special DOE units at ports to strengthen monitoring and enforcement,” he said.
Arthur said a paper on the proposal is expected to be submitted to the Cabinet next week.
He said enforcement operations have already uncovered large-scale illegal activities.
“Through Ops Bongkar, we inspected 213 containers and 103 were found to contain illegal e-waste.
“Through Ops Hazard 3.0, we inspected 104 premises and seized about 4,714 metric tonnes of e-waste,” he added.
He said many illegal operators were found to be running without licences and in violation of environmental laws.
“We will not tolerate any party that destroys the environment for profit,” he said.
Arthur added that enforcement is also being carried out through other operations such as Ops Gempur and Ops Gerak Nasional.
“We are also monitoring factories and vehicles to reduce pollution and protect air quality,” he said.
On technology, he said enforcement will be supported by tools such as drones, Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and artificial intelligence (AI).
“Technology will help improve monitoring, but the strength still lies with our officers on the ground,” he said.
