MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki said this decision was made by a task force formed to tackle e-waste dumping in Malaysia.

“E-waste is no longer allowed to enter the country. This must be coupled with stern enforcement involving all agencies,” he said in a statement.

He also said the environment department has been instructed to apply to the customs department for e-waste to be categorised under the “absolute prohibition” category.

E-waste was previously listed under the “conditional prohibition” category, which provided the environment department’s director-general discretionary powers to grant exemptions to import e-waste under certain conditions.

Azam said the task force had decided to form a special committee to coordinate the management of e-waste.

The committee will be chaired by the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency’s commander for border control and protection, Nik Ezanee Faisal.

The ban on e-waste imports comes barely a month after MACC proposed a six-month moratorium on the import of plastic waste and e-waste to assess their actual impact on the country.

Azam had then said that there was no need for large-scale imports of such materials.

Malaysia has been among the top e-waste importing countries since 2023, according to the 2025 report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The country began tightening its restrictions on plastic waste imports from July 1 last year, with most imports prohibited unless they go through Sirim Bhd and the investment, trade and industry ministry’s permit system.