ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN MALAYSIA

Environmental issues in Malaysia include: “air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires. endangered species; coastal reclamation damaging mangroves and turtle nesting sites. [Source: CIA World Factbook]

Malaysia faces many natural hazards, particularly flooding, landslides, and forest fires. Human-induced transformation of the environment is often regarded as more problematic than natural disasters but less so than in other Asian countries. Automobile emissions are Malaysia’s major source of air pollution, but air quality indicators for Malaysian cities tend to indicate cleaner air than in most other Asian cities. Livestock farming, domestic sewage, and landclearing have contributed to river pollution, but government documents do not suggest that river pollution is widespread or acutely problematic. Oil and grease have polluted coastal waters in all states and groundwater in some areas, and rates of deforestation increased from 0.4 percent annually during the 1990s to 0.7 percent annually from 2000 to 2005. [Source: Library of Congress, 2006]

According to a survey of expatriates living in Asia: India, China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia and Hong Kong are regarded as the dirtiest places in Asia, while Singapore, Japan and Malaysia were regarded as the cleanest. Thailand, South Korea and Taiwan were in the middle. Malaysia suffers from urban sprawl and traffic congestion in its capital Kuala Lumpur, and a lack of basic services in rural areas. DDT is still used, in part because it is effective in controlling mosquitos that carry the malaria parasite (1999, Source: World Wildlife Fund). The government has ordered academics not to make reports about pollution. At the same time a judge has ordered work to stop at a dam in Borneo over environmental reason and concerns about the rights of indigenous people.

The discharge of oil by vessels in Malaysian waters is prohibited.In the past the discharge of untreated sewage contaminated the nation’s water, with the most heavily polluted areas located along the west coast. The country's water pollution problem also extended to its rivers, 40 per cent of which were polluted in the 1990s. Things are better now but issues persist.

International environmental agreements: party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands.Malaysia signed, and ratified these agreements.

Geoparks and protected areas : total global geoparks and regional networks: 2; global geoparks and regional networks: Kinabalu; Langkawi (2023). By 2003, around 5.7 per cent of the total land area had been designated as protected, including two natural UNESCO World Heritage Sites and five Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance.[Source: CIA World Factbook]

The Environmental Quality Act of 1974 and other environmental legislation are overseen by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment's Division of Environment. [Source: Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations, Thomson Gale, 2007]

Environmental Data for Malaysia

June 19, 2013, NASA Aqua satellite image of smoke from illegal wildfires in Sumatra blowing over peninsular Malaysia

Land use: agricultural land: 26.1 percent (2023 estimate); arable land: 2.4 percent (2023 estimate); permanent crops: 22.7 percent (2023 estimate); permanent pasture: 0.9 percent (2023 estimate); forest: 57.8 percent (2023 estimate); other: 16 percent (2023 estimate). Arable land is land cultivated for crops like wheat, maize, and rice that are replanted after each harvest. Permanent crops is land cultivated for crops like fruit trees oranges that are not replanted after each harvest.

Irrigated land: 4,420 square kilometers (1,760 squae miles) (2022), compared to 3,800 square kilometers in 2009. [Source: CIA World Factbook]

Urbanization: urban population: 78.7 percent of total population (2023); rate of urbanization: 1.87 percent annual rate of change (2020-25 estimate). Malaysia's cities producd an average of 1.5 million tonnes of solid waste per year in the 2000s. [Source: CIA World Factbook; Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations, Thomson Gale, 2007]

Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually: 12.983 million tons (2024 estimate); percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 22.1 percent (2022 estimate).

Malaysia’s Ranking in International Environmental Evaluations

Malaysia ranks 69th out of 147 countries in the global Happy Planet Index (HPI), scoring 39.1. Compiled by the British think-tank New Economics Foundation, It measures people’s well-being and their impact on the environment through data on life satisfaction, life expectancy and the amount of land required to sustain the population and absorb its energy consumption.. happyplanetindex.org/countries]

Malaysia ranks 118th out of 180 countries in the latest global Environmental Performance Index (EPI) by Yale University (compared to 9th ranked Switzerland with a score of 87.42 and the Democratic republic of Congo near the bottom with a score of 30.41) [Source: Environmental Performance Index, Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy epi.envirocenter.yale.edu ]

The environmental performance index ranks countries on the basis of things like maintaining and improving air and water quality, maximizing biodiversity and cooperating with other countries on environmental problems. Prepared by researchers at Yale and Columbia in cooperation with the World Economic Forum, it is based on 75 measures including the number of children with respiratory diseases, fertility rates, water quality, overfishing, emissions of greenhouses gases, and the export of sodium dioxide, a key component of acid rain.

Climate Change and Malaysia

Climate change appears to be causing disruptions in Malaysia, including intensified flooding, rising temperatures, and sea-level rise that threaten public health, agriculture, and infrastructure. These environmental shifts, particularly severe during the Northeast Monsoon and through coastal erosion, impose significant economic strain and endanger coastal livelihoods. For official climate data, visit the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MET Malaysia) portal. [Source: Google AI]

Carbon dioxide emissions: 260.005 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 estimate); from coal and metallurgical coke: 76.78 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 estimate); from petroleum and other liquids: 90.273 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 estimate); from consumed natural gas: 92.951 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 estimate). [Source: CIA World Factbook]

In the mid-1990s, Malaysia was one of the 50 nations with the highest industrial carbon dioxide emissions in the world, totalling 70.5 million metric tons per year — equivalent to 3.74 metric tons per capita. By 2000, total carbon dioxide emissions had increased to 144 million metric tons. In 2010, Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:was 181.9 million Mt, 30th in the world. [Source: Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations, Thomson Gale, 2007]

Methane emissions: energy: 818.9 kt (2022-2024 estimate); agriculture: 182.2 kt (2019-2021 estimate); waste: 847.9 kt (2019-2021 estimate); other: 15.3 kt (2019-2021 estimate). [Source: CIA World Factbook]

Climate Change Agreements: Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement. Malaysia signed, and ratified these agreements.

Malaysia’s Plan to Build 'Green Economy'

In May 2011, Malaysia announced an ambitious plan to build a "green economy" with the help of an advisory council that includes economist Jeffrey Sachs and the UN climate change chief. AFP reported: “The initiative is part of economic reforms instituted by Prime Minister Najib Razak aimed at pushing the Southeast Asian country towards developed-nation status by 2020. Malaysia's vision of a "green economy" would see it moving beyond its status as a manufacturing hub, and establish "low carbon emissions, highly efficient use of resources, and a healthy, well-educated populace." [Source: AFP, May 18, 2011]

"Malaysia's ambitious goal is to simultaneously reduce poverty and achieve a green economy," Najib said in a statement from New York. "We see science and technology innovation as key to achieving that goal, guided by the advice and active support of some of the world's most distinguished entrepreneurial, scientific and economic experts. These experts will liaise and work actively with key Malaysian agencies and institutions to develop 'quick wins' in the palm oil industry, in the creation of a smart city and smart village, and in education." As well as Sachs and Rajendra Pachauri, the chairman of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the panel also includes media tycoon Steve Forbes and two Nobel laureates.

Najib said the council would aim to "raise the number of scientifically and technically-trained individuals, entrepreneurs and innovators in our country." Malaysia also hopes to develop smart cities and villages, where the Internet is available and resources, such as water and electricity, are managed efficiently through information technology.

Malaysia suffers from urban sprawl and traffic congestion in its capital Kuala Lumpur, and a lack of basic services in rural areas. Malaysia has previously sought out high-profile international advisers like Microsoft's Bill Gates when it launched its Multimedia Super Corridor project to build up its information technology industry in the 1990s. "It's a very fuzzy thing; we don't know what it is... The word 'green' is used very broadly," Gurmit Singh, chairman of the Centre For Environment, Technology and Development Malaysia, said of the latest scheme. "There seems to be a lot of hot air. In terms of what happens sometimes at the ground level, it's a repackaging of projects," he told AFP.

Malaysia’s National Utilty Explores Algae to Reduce CO2 Emissions

Malaysia’s national utility company, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), has explored the use of algae technology to reduce carbon emissions from its coal-fired power plants. Coal remains one of the country’s main sources of electricity generation because of its relatively low cost and established technology, but it is also highly carbon intensive. Each tonne of coal burned releases nearly three tonnes of carbon dioxide, while a 1,000-megawatt coal plant can emit between six and eight million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. Malaysia’s seven coal-fired power stations together consume around 56,000 tonnes of coal daily, making the power sector a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. [Source: Meng Yew Choong, The Star, December 18, 2012]

According to TNB, the electricity and energy sector accounted for about 26 percent of Malaysia’s total carbon dioxide emissions in 2006, mainly from the use of fossil fuels such as coal, gas, and distillate fuels. With global concern growing over climate change and greenhouse gas accumulation, the company began investigating carbon capture and storage technologies to reduce emissions from its operations. Traditional carbon capture systems usually involve capturing carbon dioxide at power plants and storing it underground or in depleted oil wells, but these methods can be expensive and involve environmental and safety concerns. [Source: Meng Yew Choong, The Star, December 18, 2012]

Researchers at TNB Research instead examined the possibility of using marine microalgae to absorb carbon dioxide biologically. In this process, exhaust gas from coal combustion is channelled into a photobioreactor containing algae. During photosynthesis, the algae absorb carbon dioxide and convert it into biomass. The resulting algae can potentially be processed into products such as biofuels, fertilisers, aquaculture feed, nutritional supplements, and other biomass-based materials. Researchers viewed this approach as promising because it could both reduce emissions and create commercially useful by-products.

In 2011, TNB researchers collected samples of marine algae from waters near the Sultan Azlan Shah power station in Lumut, Perak. They identified five dominant species of microalgae, including Trichodesmium thiebautie, Nannochloropsis, Tetraselmis, Chlorella, and Isochrysis. Laboratory experiments showed that Isochrysis had the highest carbon fixation rate among the tested species, absorbing carbon dioxide at an average rate of 1.46 grams per day under controlled conditions. Researchers also studied how factors such as light, temperature, pH levels, nutrient supply, and carbon dioxide concentration affected algae growth and carbon absorption efficiency.

TNB later built a laboratory-scale photobioreactor to continue testing and improving the technology. The research programme, funded internally at a cost of nearly RM1 million, focused on developing expertise in algae cultivation, species isolation, and photobioreactor design. Future plans included building a pilot-scale photobioreactor system at a coal-fired power plant and exploring the production of biodiesel from algae biomass. Although the technology was still at an early stage and had not yet been implemented on a large commercial scale, the project reflected efforts to develop more sustainable methods of reducing emissions from Malaysia’s energy sector.

Air Pollution, Smog and Fires in Indonesia

Malaysia can become quite smoggy, especially when smoke from plantation and slash and burn fires in Indonesia blows over to Malaysia. Air pollution data has been deemed an “official secret” and is not released to the public. A contractor that installed pollution monitoring equipment was required to sign an agreement with the government that it would not reveal any of the information they collected.Air Pollution includes particles of soot, organic hazardous material, heavy metals, acid aerosols and dust. The smaller particles are more dangerous because they are more easily inhaled.

Clean air legislation, which limits industrial and automobile emissions, was adopted in 1978. However, air pollution from these sources remains a problem. Particulate matter emissions: 23.7 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 estimate). [Source: CIA World Factbook; Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations, Thomson Gale, 2007]

The air quality in Kuala Lumpur has been declared unhealthy as a result of forest fires in Indonesia. In October 2010, more than 200 schools in southern Malaysia were ordered closed after a drop in air quality due to haze from fires in Indonesia. Associated Press reported: “Mohamad Adha Shah Mohamad Basir says the schools in Muar district were told to shut. Department of Environment readings showed pollution levels in the district in southern Johor state were potentially hazardous earlier. Air quality was moderate after morning rains. Mohamad Adha Shah says the schools were shut as a precaution. The state is distributing face masks to all public servants and students. [Source: Associated Press, October 20, 2010]

Malaysia Haze Points to a Regional Problem

Liz Gooch wrote in the New York Times, “For much of the year, the Petronas Towers, the world’s tallest twin buildings, are gleaming landmarks visible far from the city center here. But in mid June 2012, the 88-story structures were shrouded in a smoky haze that prompted doctors to warn people with respiratory problems to wear masks. The haze, attributed mostly to fires burning on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, has become a recurring summer blight, engulfing parts of Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei and Singapore, and leaving a litany of health and economic costs in its wake. [Source: Liz Gooch, New York Times, June 23, 2012 \=/]

“Experts say that some progress has been made in the 15 years since the Association of Southeast Asian Nations first pledged to combat the problem, after one of the worst forest fires in the region’s history. That fire was traced to the clearing of land by burning in Indonesia. But experts say far more must be done before the area will see clearer skies, including better law enforcement and international cooperation. \=/

“The haze that hit Kuala Lumpur at the this time was the worst so far this year, according to Halimah Hassan, director general of Malaysia’s Department of Environment, with readings on the air pollution index exceeding the threshold for unhealthy. A few days later, winds had begun pushing the haze north. ASEAN’s Web site on the haze reported that the smoke was also affecting southern Thailand. The skies over Kuala Lumpur were clearer, and pollution levels in the capital had dropped to mostly moderate levels. But unhealthy levels were reported in Miri, in Sarawak State, on the island of Borneo, because of a peat fire that started in the area. Ms. Halimah warned that the haze could continue to be a problem in the coming months, given predictions of dry weather and southwesterly winds until September. \=/

“Hassan said, fires in Indonesia were primarily responsible for pushing the air pollution index to unhealthy levels. A major source of smoke, researchers say, are fires set on palm oil and rubber plantations, primarily in Sumatra, to get rid of old trees and to clear land for new plantations. The 1997 forest fires in Indonesia smothered Southeast Asia in its worst haze in decades, with another severe episode occurring in 2005, said Euston Quah, a professor of environmental economics at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. \=/

Dumping of Toxic and Plastic Waste in Malaysia

After China banned imports of foreign plastic waste in 2018, Malaysia became one of the world’s main destinations for recyclable and non-recyclable waste from developed countries. Large amounts of plastic scrap from the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, Australia, and several European countries were shipped to Malaysia, often through legal recycling channels but also through illegal smuggling operations. Many shipments were sent to unlicensed recycling factories and hidden dumping grounds, especially in Selangor and other industrial areas near Kuala Lumpur. [Source: Nicola Smith, The Telegraph, May 26, 2020, Associated Press, January 20, 2020; Reuters, July 19, 2020]

Environmental investigations later revealed that much of the imported waste was improperly processed or illegally dumped. Some recycling operators openly burned plastic waste in fields and abandoned lots, releasing thick smoke and toxic fumes into nearby communities. In places such as Jenjarom in Selangor, residents reported frequent nighttime fires, foul smells, and smoke that caused dizziness, breathing problems, and headaches. Illegal dumping sites were often located near rivers, canals, fish ponds, and residential areas.

Malaysia also faced problems with imported toxic industrial waste. In 2020, authorities discovered 110 containers carrying 1,864 tonnes of electric arc furnace dust, a hazardous by-product of steel production containing heavy metals such as zinc, cadmium, and lead. The shipment, which originated in Romania and was reportedly bound for Indonesia, had entered Malaysia illegally and was abandoned at Tanjung Pelepas port in Johor. Officials described it as the country’s largest toxic waste dumping case.

The rise in waste imports was linked to global recycling and waste disposal systems. After China closed its market to foreign plastic scrap because of pollution concerns, exporters diverted large amounts of waste to Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia. Some importers allegedly disguised shipments under false customs codes to bypass inspections, while weak enforcement and the high profitability of recycling encouraged illegal operations to continue. Authorities eventually shut down hundreds of illegal recycling factories, but activists warned that many operators simply moved to remote areas where they were harder to detect. Environmental groups argued that Malaysia had become a dumping ground for foreign waste and called for stricter controls on waste imports and recycling activities.

Impact of Dumping and Burning Toxic and Plastic Waste in Malaysia

The illegal dumping and burning of foreign waste caused serious environmental and health concerns in Malaysia. Investigations by environmental organisations found that soil and water at several dumping sites contained dangerous contaminants, including brominated flame retardants and heavy metals such as cadmium and lead. These substances can accumulate in the human body over time and may damage the nervous system and affect children’s development after long-term exposure. [Source: Nicola Smith, The Telegraph, May 26, 2020, Associated Press, January 20, 2020; Reuters, July 19, 2020]

Water samples taken near dumpsites in Selangor and Kedah also contained pollutants such as phosphorus-based flame retardants, antimony, nickel, and copper. Greenpeace investigators described contamination levels in some fish ponds as alarming and warned that toxic substances could enter the food chain. Residents and fishermen near the sites claimed that pollution from illegal recycling factories had reduced fish and prawn stocks in nearby rivers and ponds.

Communities living near dumpsites complained of constant smoke and toxic fumes from open burning. Some residents said the smell was so strong that it disrupted sleep and caused nausea, shortness of breath, and dizziness. Mosquito-infested pools of polluted water formed around abandoned waste sites, while charred piles of plastic waste remained scattered across the ground long after recycling factories were closed.

The environmental damage also affected local ecosystems. Rivers and waterways were polluted by chemicals leaking from waste processing sites, threatening aquatic life and agriculture. Illegal dumping and burning contributed to soil contamination and created long-term environmental hazards that could remain for years if sites were not properly cleaned. Environmental groups warned that superficial cleanup efforts were not enough to remove harmful pollutants already absorbed into the environment.

Malaysia’s reputation as a destination for global waste also sparked political and public anger. Many Malaysians objected to the country receiving waste from richer nations while local communities bore the environmental and health consequences. Activists argued that developed countries were exporting their waste problems overseas instead of reducing plastic use and improving recycling systems at home.

Stopping the Dumping of Toxic Waste in Malaysia

Beginning in 2019, Malaysia stepped up enforcement efforts to stop illegal imports of plastic and toxic waste. The government conducted raids on unlicensed recycling facilities and shut down more than 200 illegal plastic recycling factories across the country. Authorities also increased inspections at ports to prevent waste shipments from entering Malaysia under false declarations or mislabeled customs codes. [Source: Nicola Smith, The Telegraph, May 26, 2020, Associated Press, January 20, 2020; Reuters, July 19, 2020]

Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin announced that Malaysia would no longer serve as the “dumping ground” of the world. The government began returning containers of contaminated and non-recyclable waste to their countries of origin. By 2020, Malaysia had sent back 150 containers of waste to 13 countries, including the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Canada, Spain, Japan, and Australia. Officials later reported that hundreds more containers had either been returned or were in the process of repatriation.

Malaysia also strengthened cooperation with international organisations and foreign governments. Authorities contacted Romania and worked with Interpol after discovering the illegal shipment of hazardous steel waste abandoned in Johor. Officials said the toxic material violated international rules under the Basel Convention, which regulates the movement of hazardous waste between countries.

International regulations also became stricter. New Basel Convention rules that took effect in 2021 limited the trade of contaminated and hard-to-recycle plastic waste unless importing countries explicitly approved the shipments. Malaysian officials said the new rules would help reduce illegal dumping and make exporters more accountable. The government warned that shipping companies and importers involved in illegal waste trafficking would face strict legal action.

Environmental groups continued to call for stronger enforcement and long-term cleanup of contaminated sites. Activists argued that Malaysia needed not only tighter border controls but also better waste management systems and stronger environmental monitoring. They also stressed that wealthy countries should reduce plastic production and improve domestic recycling instead of exporting waste to developing nations.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons, Malaysia government

Text Sources: “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 5: East/Southeast Asia:” edited by Paul Hockings; 1993; New York Times; Washington Post; Los Angeles Times; Smithsonian magazine; Encyclopedia.com; National Geographic; Live Science; Malaysia Tourism websites; Malaysia government websites; UNESCO; Metropolitan Museum of Art; Natural History magazine; Times of London; Library of Congress; The Conversation; The New Yorker; Time; BBC; CNN; Reuters; Associated Press; AFP; Lonely Planet Guides; Google AI; Wikipedia; The Guardian and various websites; books and other publications.

Last updated May 2026