Environmental groups say a proposed six-month moratorium on plastic and e-waste imports by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) must lead to long-term policy reforms to effectively address the problem of waste dumping.
The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) and Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) welcomed the proposed moratorium as an important first step towards dismantling what they described as “waste colonialism”, but stressed that deeper structural changes are needed.
“Malaysia and the world must significantly reduce unsustainable production. Waste minimisation, along with zero-waste policies and systems, is the way forward to end this crisis,” said S Mageswari, honorary secretary of CAP and SAM.
Mageswari said waste trafficking remains a serious issue, with shipments often falsely declared as recyclable materials, raw plastics or second-hand goods to evade customs inspections. She added that legitimate items are sometimes mixed into consignments to conceal hazardous waste.
“The waste sector is highly vulnerable to corruption, as criminal networks exploit opportunities to bribe officials for permits, falsify documents, overlook violations and obstruct inspections,” she said, citing a waste trafficking mapping exercise by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
Greenpeace Malaysia echoed the call for stronger action, saying the moratorium should be used as a critical window to introduce permanent, science-based policies that protect both communities and the environment.
Its campaign lead, Heng Kiah Chun, said this should include a ban on imports of export-oriented plastic waste, particularly low-value and difficult-to-recycle plastics that Malaysia lacks the capacity to manage safely.
He also called for stricter enforcement of the Basel Convention, an international treaty regulating the cross-border movement of hazardous waste, and urged the government to accelerate the implementation of an extended producer responsibility (EPR) policy to hold manufacturers accountable for the end-of-life management of their products.
“This moratorium must only be the first step towards a permanent ban on waste dumping and a transition to a truly waste-free and climate-safe future,” Heng said.
On Jan 16, MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki said the commission had proposed the moratorium to assess the economic, environmental and enforcement impact of plastic and e-waste imports, adding that there was no need for large-scale imports of such materials.
According to a 2025 report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Malaysia has been among the world’s top importers of e-waste since 2023.
Malaysia began tightening restrictions on plastic waste imports on July 1 last year, with most imports now prohibited unless approved through the Standard and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (Sirim) and the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry’s permit system.
