This comes after an investigation by the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) revealed that several environment department (DoE) officers tried to allow the release of illegal e-waste consignments from Port Klang last May.

“The ministry is committed to taking proactive action by strengthening SOPs regarding e-waste management which will involve comprehensive improvements in the monitoring, enforcement and investigation of these cases,” its minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said in a statement.

He said the ministry took the investigation report seriously and would remain committed to enforcing stringent control on the entry of e-waste into the country.

“These efforts of control include strict checking at entry points of the nation, strategic partnerships with relevant agencies, and usage of the latest monitoring technology to prevent the entry of e-waste into the country,” he added.

On Monday, EAIC said its task force found that certain DoE officers had colluded to release the consignments, and that there was a leak of internal information related to the transfer of directors and officers.

It also said the DoE failed to act on the leaked information and that investigations into the e-waste consignments were delayed, which the commission attributed to poor supervision.

The commission had recommended that the chief secretary to the government take disciplinary action on the officers involved, and that a new standing order on enforcement be put in place at the DoE to prevent future misconduct.