Kuala lumpur: The Department of Environment (DOE) has reported that 536,709.04 tonnes of electrical and electronic waste, commonly known as e-waste, were processed by licensed facilities from January 2021 to June 2025. Environment director-general Datuk Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar emphasized the growing concern over e-waste, which is increasing alongside the widespread use of digital devices.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Datuk Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar highlighted that improper management and careless disposal of e-waste could lead to significant health and environmental risks. To combat this, the DOE has initiated several measures, including expanding the number of licensed e-waste recovery facilities, which currently number 128 nationwide. The DOE has also launched public awareness campaigns to promote safe disposal practices and has increased enforcement against unlicensed e-waste management through operations like Ops Hazard, resulting in 351 legal actions under the Environmental Quality Act (EQA) 1974.
The director-general called on both the community and industry to responsibly manage e-waste by utilizing legal recovery facilities. In addition to e-waste management, Wan Abdul Latiff addressed the haze issue, which poses serious health risks. The DOE monitors the Air Pollutant Index (API) through 68 air quality stations across the nation, operating around the clock via the Environmental Quality Data Centre (EDC) in Putrajaya.
At the international level, Malaysia is collaborating with neighboring countries under the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution to coordinate efforts in preventing and mitigating land and forest fires. Wan Abdul Latiff noted that Malaysia has proposed various initiatives to its neighbors to combat open fires that lead to transboundary haze.
Domestically, several immediate actions have been implemented, including law enforcement and patrols in hotspots. The DOE has partnered with 13 other agencies since July 8 to enhance government efforts in addressing open burning. This strategic initiative aims to enable prompt, integrated, and comprehensive enforcement actions on the ground.
To further strengthen preparedness and coordination, the National Open Burning Action Plan and the National Haze Action Plan have been activated since February 26 to guide government agencies in addressing open burning and managing the national haze situation. Wan Abdul Latiff also mentioned ongoing patrol and monitoring cooperation with strategic partners such as the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) and other agencies at various administrative levels.
As of July 30, 2025, the DOE has conducted 4,247 land patrols, 859 drone flights to monitor open burning activities, and issued 58 Notices of Instruction. Additionally, 27 court actions and 59 compounds have been imposed on offenders related to open burning activities.