Malaysian officials face first test of new law banning growing import: 'Everyone is complicit in the trafficking'

Malaysia's e-waste ban faced its first major test when customs officials identified a shipment about to enter the country illegally. 

What's happening?

According to the South China Morning Post, customs officials at Port Klang found 200 tonnes (220 tons) of e-waste en route to the country in mid-February. 

Acting on a tip, officials found seven containers of discarded electronics, and an eighth containing aluminum dross, a toxic industrial byproduct also banned under Malaysian law. 

"Everyone is complicit in the trafficking, from e-waste collectors in the US, to brokers, forwarding agents, importers, traders, licensed recyclers as fronts and more," said researcher Wong Pui Yi, of the Basel Action Network (BAN), which monitors the flow of illicit waste to Southeast Asia. 

The Malaysian government decided to ban electronic waste from entering the country, pushing back against a growing trend in Southeast Asia, according to Reuters. 

Prior to the move, Malaysia was one of the world's primary hubs for e-waste, ranking among the top destinations for plastic waste, scrap, and electronic waste. 

The country classified e-waste as an "absolute prohibition" for imports, according to Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner Azam Baki. 

Why is e-waste concerning?

E-waste is a massive global problem that's getting bigger every year. 

With the planned obsolescence of devices like phones, computers, kids' toys, and tablets — and even disposable products like vapes that contain electronic parts and lithium-ion batteries — more e-waste is generated every year.

The vast majority of it isn't being disposed of properly or safely. 

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Rather than working to address the issue, many countries, like the United States, have opted to simply export the problem to other nations, shipping their plastic and electronic waste to places like Malaysia and Thailand. 

A 2025 report from PBS detailed the problem, describing a "tsunami" of e-waste piling up in countries without the infrastructure to handle it. 

When not properly handled, e-waste creates significant environmental issues. 

It can leach toxic chemicals into the soil and groundwater, contaminating them and threatening already-thinning water supplies in many places. 

The lithium batteries in many of those devices also pose a major fire hazard, with disastrous consequences if not handled properly.  

What's being done about e-waste?

Malaysia isn't just stopping at e-waste; the government is considering a three-month moratorium on plastic waste imports, and is cracking down on corruption that allows e-waste to enter the country illegally. 

However, they face an uphill battle to keep up; most systems allow smooth transit of any containers with documents in order, with minimal checking. 

"With the volumes we handle, it is a challenge [to detect them]," said Nik Ezanee, the commander of Port Klang customs. 

There were "approximately 15 million containers arriving in our port" last year, Ezanee said, which meant officers could "only perform checks based on intelligence."

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