US Tops List As Malaysia Seizes Hundreds Of E-Waste Containers

The statement was issued in response to a question from Senator Datuk Seri Vell Paari Samy Vellu, who had asked about measures taken to curb e-waste smuggling.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Nearly 88% of the electronic waste (e-waste) smuggled into Malaysia between 2021 and 2025 came from the United States, the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry said in a parliamentary written reply yesterday. Other origins included Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and Japan.

The ministry revealed that the Environment Department (DOE) inspected 1,414 containers at Malaysian ports during the period, of which 951 were confirmed to contain e-waste. It said 365 of these containers were sent back to their countries of origin in line with the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal.

The statement was issued in response to a question from Senator Datuk Seri Vell Paari Samy Vellu, who had asked about measures taken to curb e-waste smuggling.

The ministry said enforcement has been strengthened both at ports and against illegal factories nationwide. This includes joint operations with the Customs Department, port authorities and international organisations such as Interpol and the Basel Convention Secretariat.

It added that in February and June this year, ‘Ops Hazard’ raids were carried out on 122 illegal premises, with investigations opened under multiple laws. The ministry stressed that the government will continue to act firmly by prosecuting offenders, ordering illegal importers to return shipments and stepping up cooperation with both domestic agencies and international partners to tackle the problem.

Courtesy: www.businesstoday.com