The Department of Environment needs 3,000 additional officers to effectively monitor 64,000 pollution sources and combat illegal e-waste imports.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Department of Environment (DOE) requires approximately 3,000 additional officers to strengthen its nationwide monitoring and enforcement capabilities.
Director-General Datuk Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar confirmed the proposal for extra staff has been submitted to the government and the Public Service Department (JPA).
“This proposal has been included in the department’s improvement plan and is now being refined before being resubmitted to the government,” he told reporters.
He expressed hope for approval to significantly enhance the department’s monitoring and enforcement work.
The DOE currently employs 1,111 technical and enforcement officers responsible for monitoring over 64,000 fixed pollution sources nationwide.
These include factories, sewage treatment plants, and development projects requiring Environmental Impact Assessment reports.
This number excludes other pollution sources like more than 33 million motor vehicles and 3,000 petrol stations under DOE supervision.
The department also handles over 10,000 pollution complaints received annually.
With current staffing levels, the department can only conduct about 20,000 inspections per year against an actual need for 64,000 premises.
“We found that around 3,000 more officers are needed to ensure full and effective monitoring nationwide,” Wan Abdul Latiff stated.
Priority is given to factories with previous enforcement actions, complaint records, locations near water sources, toxic waste production, or high pollution levels.
Each DOE enforcement team currently performs approximately 16 inspections monthly based on existing work norms.
Concurrently, the department has intensified enforcement against illegal electrical and electronic waste processing through joint operations.
Two major Ops Hazard operations were conducted in February and July this year targeting illegal premises processing imported e-waste.
“When such items are confirmed as e-waste, we issue a notice for them to be returned to the country of origin,” he explained.
This action aligns with Malaysia’s obligations under the Basel Convention controlling cross-border hazardous waste movement.
Most illegal e-waste originates from developed countries including the United States and European nations.
Authorities work closely with counterparts in these countries to facilitate waste repatriation.
The two Ops Hazard operations resulted in action against 47 illegal premises with various e-waste materials seized for forfeiture and auction.
Another operation, Ops Dermaga, was conducted in September with police to curb e-waste smuggling at main entry points.
“This e-waste enters the country illegally, is processed in unlicenced factories, and often involves undocumented workers,” Wan Abdul Latiff added.
The department is strengthening inter-agency cooperation to completely stop these illegal activities. – Bernama
