Container from US suspected of bringing in waste seized

By The Star

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia will impound a container from Los Angeles in the United States, suspected of carrying commercial plastic waste when it arrives at Port Klang on Monday (March 22).

Environment and Water Minister Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (pic), in a statement Saturday, said the Environment Department (DOE) had received information from Sahabat Alam Malaysia on March 12 that a container from Los Angeles was believed to contain plastic waste.

The ship left Los Angeles on February 14 and is expected to arrive in Port Klang on March 22.

He said the DOE, the authority in control of cross-border plastic waste under the Basel Convention which came into effect on Jan 1,2021, found there were no applications for the import of plastic waste received from the exporting country.

Tuan Ibrahim said DOE had contacted the Port Klang Authority (LPK) and Westport Malaysia Sdn Bhd as well as the Customs Department to impound the container.