Kuala Lumpur: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) is contemplating the delegation of powers under the Environmental Quality Act 1974 to police authorities, aiming to bolster efforts in combating environmental crimes. Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad outlined several proposals during Ministerial Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat, emphasizing the need for stronger enforcement measures to address environmental violations.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, other strategies being considered include incorporating environmental crimes under the Anti-Money Laundering Act 2001 and the Prevention of Crime Act 1959. These initiatives are designed to enhance enforcement capabilities and facilitate decisive action against offenders. Minister Nik Nazmi stressed the importance of blacklisting companies that repeatedly breach the law, establishing dedicated waste import management legislation, amending the Port Act and Free Zone Regulations to penalize shipping agents making false declarations, and banning waste imports from nations that have not ratified the Basel Convention.
Nik Nazmi further elaborated on the rationale behind these measures, highlighting Malaysia’s commitment to prioritizing domestic waste management and avoiding becoming a global dumping ground. He noted that Malaysia had generated 764,453 tonnes of e-waste between 2015 and 2023. The minister was responding to a query from Shaharizukirnain Abd Kadir (PN-Setiu) regarding NRES’s stringent measures to curb e-waste smuggling, following significant raids on illegal electronic waste processing facilities across several states.
He reported that recent raids involved inspections at 47 sites, resulting in the seizure of 15,764 tonnes of e-waste, valued at approximately RM55 million. Nik Nazmi also addressed challenges faced by enforcement officers, including intimidation tactics by syndicate bosses during e-waste operations. He disclosed that NRES, in collaboration with enforcement agencies such as the Royal Malaysian Customs Department, successfully halted 329 containers from entering the country last year, with an additional 15 containers stopped as of February this year.