GEORGETOWN: Sending plastic waste back to its country of origin from Malaysia is all about dignity.
Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin said the government’s position when it came to sending back plastic waste was to make the country of origin bear the cost of repatriation.
“Our principle is that our country will not fork out any money to send it back.
“It’s not only about cost, it’s about dignity... why people send things to you and you still pay for it yourself to send it back?
“So let’s hold them (the plastic waste containers) here and get owners to pay the fines until they can send them back.”
Yeo was asked on the government’s position on 397 containers filled with plastic waste, imported from 12 different countries, stranded at the North Butterworth Container Terminal.
Three months ago, Penang Customs Deparment director Datuk Saidi Ismail said the containers were imported by 11 companies without the necessary Approved Permit (AP) and some were imported using the wrong codes.
Each 40-foot container contains a maximum payload of up to 15 tonnes, with a total of 5,955 tonnes in plastic waste.
The majority of the containers originated from Hong Kong, the United States, Germany, Canada and Japan.
Yeo said her ministry and the Penang government were identifying the owners of the containers.
She said they were negotiating with the plastic waste’s country of origin on repatriation.
“We have contacted the respective embassies. In fact, a team from the United Kingdom was here a few days ago to look at the containers.”
On whether there was a problem sending the plastic waste back to their countries of origin, she said there was no problem or delay, and the government was following due process.
She said the federal government would distribute solar panels found at a warehouse to local authorities nationwide.
“We found 50 solar panels from the previous government left at a warehouse, which costs us RM20,000 monthly (in rental). So that’s why we are distributing them so that we can use them.”
She said of the 50, five would be given to five local councils that had participated in the low-carbon city framework by the Malaysian Green Technology Corporation, an agency under her ministry.
“The five diamond-recognised low-carbon cities are Klang, Subang Jaya, Hang Tuah Jaya, Shah Alam and Seberang Perai. They will each get a solar panel.
“The remaining 45 panels will be given out equally to each state, meaning three for each state,” she said, adding that they would be used at car parks to be opened by Tenaga Nasional Bhd’s subsidiary, G-Sparx.
Yeo said the government had also identified schools as recipients of the solar panels.
“The confirmed schools will be announced after the feasibility studies.”