Authorities looking at the removal and disposal of eight million abandoned vehicles across Malaysia

Authorities looking at the removal and disposal of eight million abandoned vehicles across Malaysia

The problem of abandoned vehicles being a nuisance and causing an eyesore may soon be a thing of the past – the natural resources and environment ministry (NRE) said a review of the law to empower authorities to dispose of these vehicles was being carried out with the transport ministry, the New Straits Times reports.

The objective is the removal and disposal of no fewer than eight million abandoned vehicles across the country, placing them at gazetted vehicle graveyards. According to NRE minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, these plans follow on the cabinet directive made on September 6 to both ministries to propose sound solutions in resolving the burgeoning issue of abandoned vehicles being dumped nationwide.

“The ministry, through the Department of Environment (DoE), is reviewing the Environmental Act 1974 to include a provision that will allow enforcers to dispose of end-of-life vehicles in the best ways possible, without causing harm to the environment,” he told the NST.

“A task force will be established at the ministry level to coordinate and ensure that a sound mechanism for waste disposal, including hazardous waste from vehicles, is in full compliance with provisions under the Environmental Quality Act, 1974,” he explained. He added that the Transport Ministry will look at amending its Road Transport Act 1987 to allow for such vehicles to be de-registered.

Authorities looking at the removal and disposal of eight million abandoned vehicles across Malaysia

Though the proposal was still at the initial stage, Wan Junaidi said the growing number of abandoned vehicles meant it was a matter of urgency that the policy to be introduced immediately. He told the publication that officers from both ministries met last month to discuss amendments to allow the de-registration and confiscation of abandoned vehicles for disposal.

“We have eight million abandoned vehicles all over the country, and these are only the ones we know about. There may be more than 10 million of them, and they have become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, snakes, leeches and other pests. We have also been bombarded with complaints from the public on such vehicles hogging parking spaces, and creating an eyesore and an unsanitary environment,” he stated.

Wan Junaidi said that the ministries will need to iron out the main areas of enforcement and necessary details, such as a deadline for owners to salvage their vehicles, who would be empowered to tow these vehicles away as well as determining the locations for gazetted ‘vehicle cemeteries.’

He added that the DoE director-general had been told to identify suitable plots of land nationwide to be used as ‘vehicle cemeteries’. “We may have two or three sites each in Sabah and Sarawak, and five or six of them in the peninsular,” he said. He added the junkyards will likely be privately-run, and their owners will be allowed to salvage vehicle parts or destroy the wrecks.

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Anthony Lim

Anthony Lim believes that nothing is better than a good smoke and a car with character, with good handling aspects being top of the prize heap. Having spent more than a decade and a half with an English tabloid daily never being able to grasp the meaning of brevity or being succinct, he wags his tail furiously at the idea of waffling - in greater detail - about cars and all their intrinsic peculiarities here.

 

Comments

  • willie on Nov 27, 2017 at 11:29 am

    JPJ should engage all the Majlis Perbandaran to identified these types of abandoned vehicles, together with JPJ cancell the abandoned vehicles data and its auction as scrap. proceed to MP or JPJ.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 19 Thumb down 1
    • Operation Manager on Nov 27, 2017 at 1:22 pm

      Rakyat / majlis perbandaran officer / police officer : all of them everyday passby abondaned vehicle scenes, but noone take action. WHY: because no rules of law guiden what should be done.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 0
      • Tahidung on Nov 27, 2017 at 3:37 pm

        Majlis perbandaran officer / police jpj rather hide below flyover to catch drivers using phone and no wear seat belt

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 1
      • John Gagap on Nov 27, 2017 at 7:30 pm

        What have the councils and polis been doing the past 20 year? Tidur? Sampai the number can go to 8 million???

        JPJ also tidur. If one stops renewing the road tax, they should investigate why. Go and ask the owner where is the car located and whether it is being demolished properly.

        JPJ, PDRM and Majlis Bandaran are the NO 1 cause of denggi in Malaysia

        Top place for denggi to breed is in abandoned cars.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 15 Thumb down 2
  • lilytan on Nov 27, 2017 at 11:33 am

    Scrapping policy is the way to go.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 3
  • Most of them are stolen vehicles

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 15 Thumb down 1
  • Yes. Dispose those hidden in apartment compound sebab bank loan tak bayar.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 0
  • 12yrsold on Nov 27, 2017 at 12:13 pm

    I-Say-Man. The authorities have to wait until it reaches 8 million vehicles Baru Nak Buat Sesuatu !!

    What have they been doing all this while ??! That is a lot of space to house the 8 million vehicles isn’t it ?! Practicing late is better then never means we are PROCRASTINATING.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 1
  • MeToo on Nov 27, 2017 at 12:15 pm

    Remember to make the owner pay for the disposal…

    Dont further burden the public with these cost…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 19 Thumb down 0
  • old horse on Nov 27, 2017 at 12:33 pm

    too many syndicates for fraud, etc and makes it hard to dispose..strict the penalty rules
    what if the car is on purposed being stolen to claim insurance and being disposed?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 0
  • matt farrel on Nov 27, 2017 at 1:59 pm

    there are plenty of abandoned cars in sunway, to name a few, there is an abandoned wira with front end damage near sunway university and there is an abandoned mitsubishi chariot not far from there…they should at least get rid of those cars because they are really an eyesore and take up parking space

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
  • Henry on Nov 27, 2017 at 2:32 pm

    That is a lot of steel to be recycled.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 0
  • Bernard on Nov 27, 2017 at 2:49 pm

    Only in 2017 , it is now a matter of urgency when this has been a problem for decades?
    How about recycling all that metal and using it beneficially? Refer to advanced countries like Norway, Japan etc

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 0
  • Middle Age Driver (Member) on Nov 27, 2017 at 3:03 pm

    Is there a metal recycling plant in this country?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 1
  • Ben Yap on Nov 27, 2017 at 4:12 pm

    use this abandoned cars for street fighter wannabe to test their kicking and punching power to demolish these cars.

    it’s a good and fun activity. after all, it is free and at no cost.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 2
  • Vincent on Nov 27, 2017 at 6:40 pm

    8 millions? include motorbike?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • MusangKing on Nov 27, 2017 at 8:00 pm

    8 million cars? Semua still ok lah…..
    Keep calm and go drink teh tarik and eat karipap.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
  • i complaint about an abandoned 4×4 to bandaraya or jpj also no action. complaint to this they push to other authority. All know how too push to others but dont know how to selesaikan masalah. That 4×4 still there after complaint 1 years ago.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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