Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin said action had already been taken against 64 illegal plastic recycling factories in Selangor and 39 cases were taken to court.

“Among the 39, three were fined RM229,000 and those responsible were sentenced to a day in jail.”

She said the Department of Environment (DoE) has set up a task force at the head office and state level to plan and implement integrated operations in the various states.

A lot of illegal factories processing plastic have yet to be detected, Yeo said.

“The government will continue to hunt for these illegal factories in future,” she told reporters after joining a raid on an illegal factory processing plastic waste in Klang.

The minister added legal factories failing to comply with the law will also face government action.

Yeo said Kedah will be the next state to face action after Selangor. This will be followed by Negeri Sembilan and Johor, which also run illegal factories.

“I have instructed the DoE to take this matter seriously and close all illegal factories.”

Yeo said the government would make it stricter for these factories to apply for their licences in future.

She urged the public to report to the government if they noticed any illegal factories operating in their locality.

Yesterday, Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said the plastic industry was worth RM30 billion worldwide and Malaysia should get a share of it, albeit with strict laws governing it.

She said illegal dumping of plastic waste in Kuala Langat, which drew domestic and international attention, occurred on a piece of land rented for as much as RM8,000 a month.

Zuraida said heavier compound fines would be imposed in future against those running illegal factories involved in processing plastic waste.