By Yasmin Ramlan
KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 – The Federal government and The Ocean Cleanup have extended their partnership to roll out the Interceptor initiative across the country, said Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
Speaking during his winding-up speech on the Environmental Quality Bill (Amendment) 2023, Nik Nazmi was responding to Shah Alam MP Azli Yusof, who raised concerns over the significant amount of waste in the rivers nationwide.
“I visited Sungai Klang to witness the Interceptor first-hand. I’d like to inform you that the Federal government has extended our collaboration with The Ocean Cleanup, the organisation that operates the Interceptor, to implement its operation nationwide.
“Last year, we signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to expand the Interceptor’s operations,” Nik Nazmi told the Dewan Rakyat, today.
Earlier, Azli mentioned the RM3.2 million sponsorship of the Ocean Cleanup Interceptor project at Sungai Klang in 2022 by renowned international rock band Coldplay.
“Nearly 500 tonnes of waste have been processed by the machine, simultaneously reducing the pollution to the sea that comes from the waste flowing in Sungai Klang,” Azli said during the debate session on the amendment bill.
The Ocean Cleanup is an international non-profit organisation that develops and scales technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic through a dual strategy, mainly by intercepting in rivers to stop the inflow and clean up what has already accumulated in the ocean.
Founded in 2013, the organisation developed Intercepto Solutions to halt and extract riverine plastic before it reaches the ocean.
The initiative in cleaning Sungai Klang has seen 88,411 metric tonnes of waste removed since 2016.
Meanwhile, Nik Nazmi said the bill aims to amend the Environmental Quality Act 1974 (Act 127), enacted in 1974 to prevent, eliminate, control pollution, and restore the environment for related purposes.
To enforce stricter measures and harsher penalties against offenders who cause environmental pollution, the bill involves compound elements, penalties, and minimum and maximum fine provisions.
The amendment bill was passed at the Dewan Rakyat after a third reading via voice vote today.
