The government is reviewing a proposal to establish a Department of Environment branch at Port Klang to strengthen enforcement against illegal e-waste imports.

PUTRAJAYA: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability is reviewing a proposal to establish a dedicated Department of Environment branch at Port Klang.

Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup (pic) said the move aims to strengthen control and expedite enforcement against scheduled and electronic waste at the country’s main port.

The proposal follows a recent increase in cases of containers suspected to contain illegal e-waste.

Permanent placement of DOE officers is expected to speed up inspections and detentions of suspicious shipments.

“This step is also believed to help reduce the issue of container congestion and ensure the port operations continue to run smoothly,” Arthur said in a statement.

He revealed details from a recent week-long inspection operation called ‘Ops Bongkar’.

The operation inspected 213 containers previously detained by the Royal Malaysian Customs Department.

It found 148 containers contained scheduled waste, with 103 of those holding e-waste.

A further 24 containers contained lead-acid battery waste and three held lithium battery waste.

Another 65 containers were found to contain non-scheduled plastic waste and metal scrap.

Investigation records showed about 90% of the scheduled waste originated from the United States.

The remainder came from countries including Brazil, Singapore, Spain, Turkey and China.

Arthur reiterated Malaysia’s firm position of not allowing any importation of scheduled waste.

This commitment is in line with the international Basel Convention.

“Since the DOE has never issued any import permits for the materials, any e-waste detected at the country’s ports constitutes illegal entry and is against the law,” he added.

 The Sun Malaysia