PUTRAJAYA: A total of 44 factories processing electronic waste (e-waste) that are operating illegally have been taken action as of December 31, 2024 by the Department of Environment (DOE), said the Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
Of the total, he said eight factories have been closed and 36 factories are currently undergoing legal action under the Environmental Quality Act 1974 (EQA 1974).
Nik Nazmi in a statement today said that e-waste factories that process bullet casings illegally have been taken action in a Equipment Operation Detention order under Section 38(1)(a) on production machines used in the premises without any control devices.
He said investigation papers for prosecution will also be prepared for all offences under the EQA 1974.
He said enforcement action under the EQA 1974 had been carried out and the premises in question had been investigated under Section 18 for being an off-site storage facility for scheduled waste without obtaining a licence from the Department of Environment (DOE).
In addition, other action was taken under Section 34A for failing to submit an Environmental Impact Assessment Report to the DOE and Section 34B for placing scheduled waste without obtaining any prior approval from the Director-General of Environment.
Nik Nazmi said the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) through the DOE is committed to ensuring that Malaysia does not become a transit or disposal site for e-waste from developed countries in line with the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal.
It stipulates that any cross-border movement of scheduled waste such as e-waste requires prior approval before transit, transhipment, import and export activities are carried out.
He said that to control the movement of e-waste through the country’s main entry points, the Basel Convention has stipulated that e-waste that crosses borders must go through the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure and imports that fail to comply with the procedure are categorised as illegal shipments under Article 9.
Article 9 of the Basel Convention also states that exporting countries that do not obtain approval from the importing country for merchandise categorised as scheduled waste must take back the merchandise within 30 days.
“Therefore, strict action will be taken against any importer who fails to comply with the rules and laws that have been set,“ said Nik Nazmi.
