YOURSAY | ‘If the importer refuses to take back the cargo, burden will rest on Penang Port...’

175 containers of undeclared plastic waste found at Penang Port - Zuraida

7788: The containers laden with plastic waste will continue incurring store rent charged by the port, and demurrage (usage of the container) charged by the shipping company.

These importers are taking a big risk if eventually they cannot secure their import permits. The accumulated port store rent and shipping lines' demurrages will be higher than the cost of the plastic waste.

In most cases, importers will just give up the cargo. Ultimately, the burden of getting rid of the plastic waste will then rest on Penang Port and the shipping line.

If it is electrical goods or some valuable cargo, Customs has every right to auction the goods, but then this is plastic waste, which cannot enter Malaysia.

The shipping line will ask who is going to pay for the ocean freight, and other charges including Penang Port store rent and the line’s demurrage charges when it is shipped back to the original consignor, in the event the consignor refuses to accept the returned cargo.

Shipping lines will not undertake such returned cargo, unless the original consignor has an undertaking issued to the shipping line that the former will bear all charges.

International maritime laws need to be adhered to. With such types of cargo, normally the shipping line at the loading port will seek prior advice from the discharging port’s shipping agent on whether there is any restriction on such commodities (ie, plastic waste) entering Malaysia before shipping it to Penang.

There is some suspicion as to why the Penang consignee had not secured prior approval from the relevant authorities before importing plastic waste.

Anonymous_f87fd98a: We will pay a high cost in cleaning up our environment if we accept this plastic waste when even China has stopped accepting it. Just so a few players make some money, our future generations will suffer from pollution.

I say we should get the shipping company which brought in all these containers of plastic waste to ship it back to the respective exporting countries. Period.

Good Governance: It is strange that Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin says she needs to raise the issue with the cabinet. Don't we have laws to deal with falsely declaring imports in Customs rules?

And secondly, those who import items without permits which then sit in the port will be in charge of holding fees while applying for permits, no?

So if the government is not issuing permits, then the importer will sooner or later incur losses and stop importing.

These continued imports give me the feeling that we have a bigger problem here.

It sounds like: a) they may still be able to get a permit, b) they can easily get away with falsely declaring the goods, or c) the waste can be sneaked in via other ways.

In any case, it speaks volumes of our enforcement agencies.

Salam: What is there to "think" about and why should the issue be raised with the cabinet?

In Singapore, they wouldn't bother the cabinet with this. The authorities would just take action. Aren't there enough regulations and provisions under multiple laws for the Port Authority, Customs, and the police to enforce?

At the very least, name and shame these companies. Also, which approving authority issued these permits, how much were the fees or charges collected, and what was the money collected used for?

Headhunter: Indeed, why is the government allowing the import of basically rubbish into the country? Don't we have enough waste of our own?

Are we going to wait until it becomes a massive problem that the authorities are unable to handle, and then start another blaming game?

This is stupidity at its worst and reflects a third-world mentality. It's hard to comprehend why this is allowed. Where is our environment minister?

Otai Reformis want Kok, Shamsul axed for 'not helping' rubber tappers

Anonymous 1802761448130592: This just doesn’t sound right, Otai Reformis committee member Abdul Razak Ismail.

These are all global movements of commodity prices, and no one person, unless he or she has the global cooperation of others in the industry, can do much about them.

Be proactive. In a situation like this, it's best to give suggestions of solutions to the problem rather than demanding handouts and that the ministers be axed each time there is a drop in prices.

Raising the floor price of rubber to RM4 is just too much and disruptive to our country's economy.

Given the high national debts we are in now, could Abdul Razak advise the ministry where the money can be squeezed from to ease the pain of the rubber tappers? Or do you advise our prime minister to take on more samurai loans?

For your kind information, Abdul Razak, I grew up in a rubber-tapping family and have had first-hand experience of the hardship we went through in periods of low rubber prices. We survived and Malaysia survived!

Undecided: Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok said setting a high floor price would also lead to speculative activities by those seeking to capitalise on the price difference, as well as encourage rubber smuggling from abroad.

Based on the preceding concern, it would be illogical to raise the floor price. However, this is one of the traditional livelihoods of the rural Malays and the Pakatan Harapan government should think of another means to help them out.

If the government wants to preserve the livelihood of the smallholders and at the same time balance the books, there should be a form of tax introduced when prices are favourable. This will make such affirmative action more sustainable.

Anonymous 2460431488547967: Remember the lesson of the Thai government’s subsidy for rice farmers.

It was well-intentioned and very popular with voters, but it had a bad ending when the government has no more money to further support the rice stockpile, and growers in other countries were more efficient. This will not be sustainable in the long run.

Roger 5201: Maintaining a strategic buffer stock requires good judgement and plenty of money. It is good that Kok takes a conservative approach. She should also take a consultative approach with all the stakeholders.

Okyokyoky: Personally, I don't agree with the idea that the government should create an artificial demand for rubber. Growing rubber on a small scale lacks economies of scale and leads to higher costs.

Commodity prices are trending downwards. Forcing our glove manufacturers to buy local rubber at a higher price will only encourage the glove industry to shift to Thailand.

Anonymous 2439891477538802: If Otai Reformis wants to help the rubber tappers, denigrating the minister and demanding her removal is not the way to do it.

It says much about the failed education system and the nation's backward political culture when a pressure group, instead of seeking to engage the government to discuss and find solutions, exercises their sense of entitlement and makes demands that do not add an iota towards solving the problem.

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