Fine for illegal plastic waste factories may be raised to RM50,000

Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin.

KUALA LUMPUR: The government intends to impose fines of at least RM50,000 on illegal plastic waste operations as the current RM300 is seen as being too low.

Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin says her ministry is putting up a paper on this proposal. The amendments will be submitted to the Cabinet and tabled in Parliament by 2020.

“When you import plastic waste, you are disgracing this country,” she told reporters today after attending a forum on plastic waste in Malaysia.

Zuraida also said that “Waste-To-Energy” is definitely the future of Malaysia’s waste management as it is the fastest way to clear rubbish.

Waste-To-Energy is a waste management technology to convert solid waste into energy in the form of electrical power.

She said the NGOs’ recycling recommendation to curb plastic waste would take a very long time to see any impact.

“For the past 60 years we have not been able to change the mentality of Malaysians.

“If we follow the NGOs’ recommendations, it’s going to take another 60 years and by then, rubbish will be all over the place,” she said.

Commenting on the assessment by PPBM chief strategist Rais Hussin that the ruling coalition would face defeat if a general election were called now, she admitted that there were still a lot of weaknesses among inexperienced ministers.

“It is only a year and a half, but the Cabinet is shaping up very well now.

“Give us two years to clean up internal matters, bureaucracy and the government servants’ mentality. Then, we can prioritise the issues under each ministry.

“After two years, we should be able to move forward with our programmes and activities.” - FMT