More than 6,000 illegal dumping sites have been shut down nationwide in three years, with SWCorp closing 3,600 last year alone, says Nga Kor Ming.
KUALA LUMPUR: More than 6,000 illegal dumping sites have been shut down nationwide over the past three years as authorities step up enforcement against unlawful waste disposal.
Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) had shut down about 3,600 such sites last year alone, with additional enforcement resources deployed to tackle illegal dumping.
“Last year alone, SWCorp successfully closed 3,600 illegal dumping sites.
“Over the past three years, we have managed to shut down more than 6,000 such sites,” he told the Dewan Rakyat today.
Nga was responding to a supplementary question from Roslan Hashim (PN-Kulim Bandar Baharu), who raised concerns about alleged illegal waste disposal cartels operating in remote areas and on abandoned land to avoid paying disposal charges.
Roslan cited a Sept 24 report by Harian Metro which highlighted 3,723 illegal dumping locations detected across seven states.
The investigation found that 81 locations remained active or continued to experience illegal dumping despite enforcement and clean-up efforts.
In response, Nga condemned the activities, stressing that illegal dumping posed a serious threat to environmental protection and public cleanliness.
“To me, this is not merely illegal, it is downright disgraceful. It is extremely important that we ensure our country’s environment is protected and defended,” he said.
He warned that those involved in illegal dumping syndicates could face imprisonment of up to five years, a fine of up to RM100,000, or both upon conviction under the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672).
Nga said SWCorp’s enforcement capabilities had also been strengthened through the acquisition of more than 100 motorcycles last year to facilitate patrols, enforcement operations and raids at illegal dumping sites.
“Solid waste management is one of our main priorities to ensure the country remains clean and the people enjoy a healthy environment.
“We will continue monitoring these activities because those responsible for dirtying public spaces must also be made responsible for cleaning them,” he said.
He added that community service orders were also being implemented as part of the government’s efforts to strengthen enforcement of public cleanliness regulations.
Nga said more than 2,000 individuals had been ordered by the courts to perform community service.
However, he did not disclose how many alleged cartel operators had been prosecuted following the Harian Metro investigation or provide updated figures on the locations that remained active.
