Malaysia closes over 6,000 illegal waste sites to combat syndicates

The Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) closed more than 6,000 illegal waste disposal sites in Malaysia over the last three years. These closures targeted sites allegedly run by syndicates to bypass official disposal fees.

Minister Nga Kor Ming told the Dewan Rakyat that the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) closed 3,600 of these sites in the past year alone. To improve monitoring and raids, the ministry provided SWCorp with more than 100 motorcycles last year.

The ministry also uses community service orders to teach the public about environmental responsibility. The government can impose a prison sentence of up to five years and a fine of RM100,000 on those involved in waste syndicates under the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act 2007. So far, authorities have issued more than 17,000 compounds and a court has ordered more than 2,000 people to perform community service.