SEREMBAN: An estimated 200 tonnes of electronic waste have been seized from unnumbered premises near Sg Linggi, an important source of raw water here. The ewaste is believed to have been fraudulently declared as scrap in order to be allowed in, and has been shipped in from the United States and China via Port Klang.
The enforcement operation was jointly carried out by several agencies following a tip-off, according to Negri Sembilan climate change, human resources, entrepreneurship, cooperatives and consumerism committee chairman S. Veerapan. He said that the entire operation was run illegally by Chinese nationals who had hired up to 60 foreigners to dismantle the ewaste. He added that the dismantling process could have a negative impact on people’s health and the environment, especially given the close proximity of the premises to Sg Linggi.
Veerapan mentioned that the operator had not put up any sign to indicate the type of business being carried out in order to escape detection, and had also failed to obtain a license from the local council to run the operation. The raiding team only managed to arrest seven Myanmar nationals, while the other individuals involved got away, he said.
The case would be probed under Section 18 of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 for failing to obtain approval to handle and manage ewaste and under Section 34 of the same legislation for failing to provide an environmental impact assessment report on the activity, Veerapan said. Additionally, the operator had contravened Section 3(1) of local council licensing bylaws for running an operation without a valid license, and Section 112(1BA) of the Income Tax Act 1967 for failing to provide proof of income tax payment.
Other offences include violating Section 24D of the Employees’ Minimum Standards of Housing, Accommodations and Amenities Act 1990 to ensure the foreign workers had proper accommodation; Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for hiring undocumented migrants; and Section 70(1) of the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 for erecting a building without proper approval, according to Veerapan. The operator was believed to have been renting the premises from the owner, a local, for RM38,000 a month, he added.
Veerapan mentioned that investigations indicated that operations started in 2020 but then stopped, only to resume again last year with ewaste being brought in almost on a daily basis from Port Klang. The operator was also believed to have dumped some of the waste into Sg Linggi, he said. He expressed hope that the public would continue to report such matters to the authorities, so that action can be taken against illegal operators. As for the authorities, Veerapan stated that they will aggressively carry out operations to put a stop to activities that are harmful to both health and the environment.
