Tan Sri Datuk Amar James Jemut Masing
KUCHING (Aug 7): Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing has chided the United States for attempting to dump its plastic waste in Sarawak.
He pointed out that during the Movement Control Order (MCO), the federal Ministry of Environment and Water had traced and sent back the containers at Kuching Port.
“It is despicable of the US to try to dump the 21 containers in Kuching.
“It is not only in violation of the rules but it is the most despicable act by the US, which claims to be the guardian of international guard dogs of the environment,” the Minister of Infrastructure and Ports Development said in a statement sent via WhatsApp on today.
Yesterday, Kuching Port Authority general manager Robert Lau told The Borneo Post that there were still 27 containers from Canada and seven from the US at their facility.
“We will work with the Customs Department and Department of Environment as well as the consignee and shipping agent to make arrangement for shipping.
“As long as the paperwork is clear, the containers will be returned,” he said.
He revealed further that since the authority was alerted of the attempt to move waste into the country in July 2018, they had sent back 85 containers, including 42 from the US.
During the question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday, Environment and Water Minister Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man had said the 21 containers were among 42 filled with plastic waste and 13 containing toxic waste returned to their countries of origin.
Other countries involved included the United Kingdom, Poland, South Korea, and Vietnam.
More recently, 110 containers from Romania, bound for Indonesia, were discovered at Tanjung Pelepas Port in Johor.
The ministry is now working to ship those containers back to their country of origin.
“Malaysia will not become a global dumping ground. We will take action against those who bring in containers filled with toxic waste or waste that violate regulations, such as plastic and others,” he told Parliament.