In a supplementary question to deputy minister Mansor Othman, Yeo Bee Yin (PH-Bakri) said she had been asking about the status of the bill since the Dewan Rakyat meeting in November 2020.

“To date, we have not even presented the first phase of the amendment bill in this Dewan,” lamented Yeo.

“I would also like to ask about the rules related to e-waste, and why no MPs were invited for stakeholder engagement sessions despite the fact that I have received a parliamentary reply that there will be such sessions?”

She pushed Mansor to issue a guarantee that the bill would be presented in October.

Mansor replied that he shared Yeo’s sentiments on the delay of the bill and said the delay was caused due to the bill being “stuck” in different departments.

“However, it has been cleared and, Insya-Allah, we will (present it in October). I will also manage the engagement sessions with MPs, relevant agencies and other stakeholders,” he said.

The amendment bill, which was supposed to be tabled in 2020, contains provisions on heavier penalties to be imposed on environment polluters.

Environment and water minister Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man was reported as saying that the revisions and amendments to the Act would be timely because the present penalties were not proportionate to environmental and financial damage caused by the polluters.