SHAH ALAM, Sept 9 — Over 67 per cent of containers inspected at Malaysian ports between 2021 and 2025 were found to contain smuggled electronic waste (e-waste), Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry revealed.
The ministry said based on records, the Environment Department (DOE) has inspected 1,414 containers during this period, of which 951 were confirmed to hold e-waste.
Of these, 365 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.
“Investigations found that nearly 88 per cent of the e-waste originated from the United States, with the rest coming from countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and Japan,” it said in a parliamentary written reply dated yesterday.
It said this in response to a question from Senator Datuk Seri Vell Paari Samy Vellu on steps taken by the ministry to curb the smuggling of e-waste into the country.
The ministry said enforcement has been tightened at ports and against illegal factories nationwide, supported by joint operations with the Customs Department, port authorities, and international organisations such as Interpol and the Basel Convention Secretariat.
The ministry added that in February and June this year, ‘Ops Hazard’ raids were carried out on 122 illegal premises, with investigations opened under multiple laws.
It stressed that the Malaysian 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 networks to curb the smuggling of hazardous waste into Malaysia.
