Kuala lumpur: Malaysia does not allow the import of electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) from other countries to prevent environmental pollution and protect public health. Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Datuk Seri Huang Tiong Sii said all 128 licensed facilities in the country are only permitted to process e-waste generated domestically.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Huang Tiong Sii emphasized that Malaysia will not become a dumping ground for scheduled waste from abroad. He made this statement during question time in the Dewan Rakyat in response to a query from Young Syefura Othman (PH-Bentong) about whether the ministry plans to expand licensed processing plants to handle imported electronic waste as part of efforts to curb smuggling activities.
Huang highlighted that e-waste contains toxic materials such as lead, mercury, and cadmium, which require safe treatment and disposal to protect the environment and public health.
In another development, the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (KPKM) assured that efforts to boost local agricultural production are being implemented systematically to meet national targets and reduce reliance on imported raw materials. Its deputy minister, Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup, mentioned initiatives like the Large-Scale Smart Padi Project (Smart SBB) programme, which is modeled after the Sekinchan approach, and a five-season padi cultivation project within two years to increase domestic rice production.
Arthur further explained that the programme involves an area of 3,000 hectares, to be implemented in stages starting in 2024 within the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA) region. In addition, the Ruminant Development Programme aims to boost local beef production by breeding and expanding high-quality cattle populations, targeting a 50 percent Self-Sufficiency Rate (SSR) by 2030.
To strengthen the aquaculture industry, Arthur said KPKM has introduced targeted programmes such as the Aquaculture Industrial Zone (ZIA), the Aquaculture Integration Programme, and MADANI Community Farm initiatives to increase production to 958,000 metric tonnes by 2030. He was responding to Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias (BN-Jelebu) regarding the country’s main imported raw materials and the measures taken to reduce dependence on imports.