Kuala lumpur: Malaysia has announced a ban on the import of e-waste in an effort to strengthen controls on the import of hazardous materials and protect domestic natural resources. Azam Baki, Chairman of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and head of the waste management task force, revealed on Wednesday that the status of e-waste has been changed to "absolutely prohibited" under customs regulations, effectively removing the previous criteria that allowed its import under certain conditions.

According to Thai News Agency, the measures aim to end Malaysia's problem of becoming a major destination for plastic waste and scrap from around the world, burdened by non-recyclable and often illegally imported waste. Mr. Azam emphasized that e-waste will no longer be allowed into the country and that strict law enforcement from all relevant agencies is necessary. Furthermore, the working group is considering a proposal to temporarily suspend plastic waste imports for three months.

This announcement of drastic measures comes amid an expanded investigation into corruption related to e-waste management. Last week, the MACC detained three high-ranking officials from the Environment Agency for questioning regarding alleged bribery related to illegal e-waste disposal activities.

Data from a report by the Basel Action Network last year highlighted the severity of the problem, estimating that the United States alone exports approximately 32,947 tons of e-waste per month, with Malaysia being a major destination, much of which is illegally exported.