He told the Dewan Rakyat today that the four ministries involved in plastic waste imports had “very different jurisdictions”.

“But if we want effective enforcement, all four have to sit at the same table,” he said.

Johari was responding to concerns raised by Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (PN-Kubang Kerian) over the misclassification of plastic waste, plastic waste smuggling at ports, and the lack of inspections at recycling factories.

Apart from the natural resources and environmental sustainability ministry, the other ministries involved in plastic waste imports are the finance ministry; investment, trade and industry ministry; and housing and local government ministry.

Johari said many containers with undeclared plastic waste could be entering the country through ports due to limited customs enforcement capacity.

He called for tighter oversight, saying all plastic recycling firms must register with the investment, trade and industry ministry and undergo annual licensing.

“Each time they apply to renew their licence, we will review their audited accounts and check how much they sell, how much they export, and what they do with the waste after processing,” he said.