KUALA LUMPUR: Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani has proposed mandatory registration for all plastic recycling companies under the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) to strengthen oversight and enforcement. The move aims to address fragmented jurisdiction among agencies handling plastic waste.
Johari, who also serves as Acting Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, highlighted the inefficiencies in the current system, which involves multiple agencies including the Department of Environment, Solid Waste Management Department, MITI, and Customs.
“To be effective, these four agencies must come together. I’ve submitted this proposal to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability,” he said during a parliamentary session.
The minister was responding to concerns raised by Datuk Seri Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (PN–Kubang Kerian) regarding enforcement at plastic recycling plants, some of which have been linked to illegal waste imports. Johari stressed the need for thorough inspections of plastic waste containers entering Malaysia and stricter monitoring at processing facilities.
“If a container arrives with false declarations, Customs may not catch it immediately. But by monitoring every company processing this waste, we can track which factories receive it and verify their licensing status,” he explained.
Johari also revealed that only 10 to 20 per cent of imported plastic waste is processed, with the rest ending up in landfills. “We bear the high cost of landfill management while the exporting countries pay nothing,” he added.
To tackle these issues, he proposed mandatory MITI registration for plastic recycling firms, requiring annual license renewals backed by audited financial statements. This would ensure transparency in tracking sales, exports, and market destinations.
The minister urged swift implementation of the mechanism to prevent illegal plastic waste dumping. - Bernama
