PUTRAJAYA, Feb 4 — The importation of electronic waste (e-waste) has been fully banned with effect from today and will be classified under the Absolute Prohibition category in the Customs (Prohibition of Imports) Order 2023.
The decision was reached by the Special Task Force on the Direction of Enforcement Management of Plastic Waste and E-Waste Imports, chaired by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki, at its meeting today.
According to Azam, the Department of Environment (DOE) has been instructed to immediately submit an application to the Royal Malaysian Customs Department to place e-waste under the Absolute Prohibition category in the said Customs Order.
“The decision requires firm and integrated enforcement action by all relevant agencies. E-waste is no longer permitted and must be strictly enforced involving all agencies,” he said in a statement today.
Previously, e-waste was listed under the ‘Conditional Prohibition Except in the Manner Provided’ category in the Third Schedule, Part 1, of the Customs (Prohibition of Imports) Order 2023.
Under the category, the director-general of the DOE still had discretionary powers to grant exemptions for the importation of prohibited waste, subject to certain conditions.
According to the statement, the meeting also decided that a special committee be established to coordinate and strengthen enforcement related to e-waste.
The committee will be chaired by Port Klang Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) Control and Protection Commander Datuk Nik Ezanee Mohd Faisal.
“The outcomes of the committee’s meeting must be reported to the Special Task Force on the Direction of Enforcement Management of Plastic Waste and E-Waste Imports within one week to ensure more systematic and effective management of e-waste,” the statement said.
The Special Task Force also agreed that detailed data was required to assess the feasibility of a three-month moratorium on the plastic waste import sector before a final decision was made.
According to the statement, the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, the National Solid Waste Management Department and the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation are required to study and present to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim the sector’s contribution to the economy and national revenue, as well as industry needs. — Bernama