Garbage situation: Huge piles of renovation debris and shredded industrial rubber waste spilled from large torn bags and plastic drums being dumped into a man-made lake. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star
PETALING JAYA: The scope of the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 should be widened to include offering incentives for public reporting to combat illegal dumping, environmentalists say.
They also proposed heavier penalties, such as fines of up to RM1mil and publicly naming offenders.
The environmentalists even suggested creating a publicly available “Culprit List” to apply peer pressure, particularly on companies, alongside stricter measures.
These include suspending manufacturing licences and business permits for repeat offenders.
Such steps would be crucial in preventing environmental violations and promoting greater accountability, they said.
Among those supporting the call for the scope of the Act to be widened to include environmental crimes was Sahabat Alam Malaysia president Meena Raman.
“Rewards could be provided for reporting on illegal dumping activities,” she said when contacted.
Meena said it is also important to use mass media and communication channels to promote the use of hotlines for reporting such offences.
There is also a need for advanced surveillance tools that include cameras, drones and GPS tracking to monitor environmental crimes, she added.
“These tools could help detect not just household waste dumping but also the disposal of toxic chemicals, plastics and electronic waste in rivers, drains and remote areas.”
Meena also proposed reviving community surveillance efforts akin to the Rukun Tetangga programme, where local communities patrol their neighbourhoods to monitor environmental crimes.
“The revival of such community surveillance must be seriously encouraged, with training by the Environment Department and local authorities to help communities identify offenders and understand appropriate measures,” she said.
In addition, Meena recommended training enforcement personnel, including police and People’s Volunteer Corps, on environmental crimes.
“They, too, can monitor and patrol, especially at night when such illegal activities often occur,” she said.
Echoing her views was Wong Pui Yi, a researcher with the global waste watchdog group Basel Action Network, who stressed the importance of robust whistleblower protection in combating illegal dumping.
“Whistleblower protection is especially important because it is difficult to catch perpetrators in action and acquire sufficient evidence to prosecute. Insider information is therefore very valuable,” she said.
Wong underscored the need for safeguards to ensure the safety and confidentiality of individuals who report environmental crimes.
“There must be protection for people who come forward with information, especially workers or contractors,” she said.
Citing past incidents, she said whistleblowers’ identities had been leaked despite using official complaint channels, discouraging others from reporting wrongdoing.
Prof Dr Mohd Hasni Jaafar, an environmental health and toxicology specialist at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said community involvement can be effective in tracking illegal dumping.
“In the United States, they developed the Smart City Community in San Jose, using a web-based application with near 97% accuracy in detection,” he said.
Mohd Hasni called for both monetary and non-monetary incentives to encourage public participation in environmental surveillance.
“By rewarding individuals for monitoring and reporting illegal dumping, we can foster a collective responsibility to keep communities clean and eco-friendly,” he said.
Dr Theng Lee Chong, a waste management specialist, called for stronger penalties and greater accountability to deter illegal dumping.
“If a company needs to pay RM1mil for one incident of illegal dumping, they may not want to take the risk.
“Furthermore, if a company name is disclosed for illegal dumping, it could heavily affect their business,” he said.
Theng said companies should also be held responsible for hiring contractors who engage in illegal dumping.
“Suspension of manufacturing licences or business permits could be another approach, as it affects the business as a whole, not just financially,” he said.
However, Theng said such measures require clear regulatory frameworks and collaboration among various authorities, including local councils, waste management agencies and the government.
He criticised the current approach of framing the closure of illegal dumpsites as an achievement, calling for a shift in focus.
Theng urged the media to prioritise reporting on offenders rather than spotlighting enforcement officials.
“The authorities should emphasise the punishments handed down to culprits and disclose company names when involved, rather than treating the closure of illegal dumpsites as an achievement and publicising it as a headline,” he added.
Randolph Jeremiah, vice-president of the Environment Protection Society of Malaysia, said public incentives can assist local authorities in monitoring illegal dumping, but there is a need for stronger enforcement and prosecution.
“All complaints must be investigated promptly and thoroughly, with action taken against perpetrators,” he said.
Jeremiah said it is important to publicise enforcement actions to send a clear message that illegal dumping will not be tolerated.
