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NATIONAL 4 theSun on Sunday MAY 24, 2026

Malaysian Paper

/thesundaily /

M’sia faces mounting lithium battery disposal challenge

Over 27,000 cattle imported for Aidiladha PADANG BESAR: More than 27,000 cattle have been imported to meet demand for the upcoming Hari Raya Aidiladha celebration, with all livestock undergoing strict screening and quarantine procedures by the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department (Maqis). Its deputy director-general Dr Azhari Sharidan Abu Bakar said the department guarantees that all cattle, most of which were imported from Thailand, are disease-free and safe to be sold and slaughtered for the qurban ritual. He said the livestock were monitored throughout a 14-day quarantine period for signs of foot and mouth disease and lumpy skin disease. “These two are among the main diseases we monitor throughout the quarantine,” he told Bernama at the Maqis Animal Quarantine Station in Padang Besar. Azhari Sharidan also said the department has recorded the import of about 1,000 buffaloes so far in preparation for the upcoming Hari Raya Haji celebrations. Meanwhile, he stressed that all livestock must pass Maqis screening procedures to control animal diseases and protect public health and safety, while urging importers to strictly comply with regulations. He explained that some importers house their cattle at private quarantine premises approved by Maqis instead of government stations, although Maqis officers continue conducting regular monitoring. If government quarantine stations are full, cattle may be quarantined at private premises or the importer’s own location, subject to prior approval from Maqis and compliance with all stipulated conditions and procedures. He admitted that cases of non compliance still occur, particularly when cattle are removed and sold before completing the mandatory 14-day quarantine period. Maqis recorded one such case last year and two the year before, with action able to be taken under the Quarantine and Inspection Services Act 2011.

Penang initiative aims to strengthen recycling network amid rising waste

points, the programme also offers house-to-house e-waste collection services and battery buy-back schemes to reach households unable to access drop-off centres. The initiative also plans to expand collection points to shopping malls, retailers and commercial premises as more rechargeable devices enter the market. Techom director Tan Yeow Chuan said the company handles scheduled waste, including lithium batteries and electronic waste, at its facilities in Bukit Minyak. He said recycling and recovery processes include collection, sorting, dismantling and material recovery before reusable materials are extracted for industrial use. Tan said materials recovered from used batteries include lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, copper and aluminium, which can be reused in manufacturing new batteries and electronics. “These recovered materials reduce the need for new mining

operations and help close the loop in battery production,” he said. On electric vehicle (EV) battery lifespan, Tan said EV batteries generally last between five and eight years before requiring replacement or disposal, with larger numbers expected to enter the recycling cycle before 2030. “We need to prepare the infrastructure now to handle the wave of EV batteries that will need recycling within the next few years,” he said. Road Transport Department data previously showed EV registrations in Malaysia more than doubled in 2025, raising expectations of larger volumes of battery waste in the coming years. Meanwhile, Riiicycle founder Chew Chin Huat said the programme connects consumers, collectors, aggregators and recyclers to track where discarded batteries end up after collection. “We are building an ecosystem for collection across the entire supply chain – from consumer to recycler – with full traceability,” he told theSun. He said the system ensures recyclable materials are sent to licensed recyclers instead of “illegal players” who may improperly handle waste. “About 800 tonnes of recyclable items, including batteries, e-waste and used cooking oil, have been collected since early 2024, based on invoices and average weight estimates,” Chew said. The programme also offers rewards allowing users to exchange recyclable items for e wallet credit or vouchers through the Riiicycle mobile app as an incentive for proper disposal. Smart bins equipped with sensors, AI-assisted e-waste bins and used cooking oil collection bins have also been introduced as part of the recycling operations. In terms of limestone hill distribution in Peninsular Malaysia, Kelantan recorded the highest number with 298 hills, followed by Pahang with 183, Kedah with 173, Perak with 138 and Perlis with 103. Selangor and Terengganu each recorded three hills, Negeri Sembilan had two and Johor one. FRIM, which received funding from the National Conservation Trust Fund for Natural Resources for projects in Kelantan and Perlis, as well as Rapid Biodiversity Assessment funding for Batu Caves, presented an update on the status of limestone hill ecosystems at the National Biodiversity Council meeting on July 29, 2024. – Bernama

future,” he said at the launch of the Rechargeable Battery Circularity Programme and Kitar Hub initiative in Penang on Friday. Describing the initiative as “structured and technology driven”, Sundarajoo said both the state government and the Penang Green Council have consistently supported environmental initiatives promoting sustainability, innovation and community participation. The programme is led by Techom Metal Sdn Bhd, which manages battery recycling and recovery processes, while collection operations are handled by Riiicycle Tech Sdn Bhd. The collection network currently comprises about 70 bins and stations across Penang and Kuala Lumpur, including 31 located at high-rise residential buildings for easier public access. Apart from fixed collection

Ű BY T.C. KHOR newsdesk@thesundaily.com

GEORGE TOWN: Used lithium batteries from mobile phones, power banks and electric vehicles are piling up faster than Malaysia can recycle them. Penang Housing and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Seri Sundarajoo Somu said many people still dispose of lithium batteries carelessly, posing serious environmental and safety risks if not properly managed. “Sustainability requires collective participation and cannot be achieved by the government alone. “Strong collaboration between the government, industries, recyclers, technology providers and the public is essential in building a more sustainable

Sundarajoo (third from left), Tan (fifth from left) and Chew (right) during the launch. – PIC COURTESY OF PENANG GREEN COUNCIL

FRIM steps up conservation of rare limestone flora KUALA LUMPUR: Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) is spearheading efforts to conserve and document the country’s limestone flora, which supports rich biodiversity and is home to numerous endemic and endangered species not found elsewhere in nature. balsams and several types of orchids. “To date, around 1,300 limestone plant species have been identified in Peninsular Malaysia, accounting for about 14% of the country’s total flora across an estimated 908 recorded limestone hills,” the statement said. FRIM said threats from identifying and assessing plant diversity and conservation status, while helping prioritise areas for protection. FRIM said under the flora documentation project of Peninsular Malaysia, which began in 2005, several new species have been recorded, including Gymnostachyum kanthanense,

fern Asplenium merapohense in Merapoh, Pahang, and Coleus hairulii in Kedah. The research also highlighted endangered endemic species such as Impatiens vinosa and Begonia jayaensis , which are facing serious habitat disturbance, while documenting new orchid discoveries including Didymoplexis micradenia and Chiloschista exuperei in Perak, Sohmaea teres in Kedah and Exacum tenue in Kelantan. As a proactive measure, FRIM prepared a discussion paper for the 3rd National Biodiversity Council meeting in August 2016 proposing closer collaboration with state governments to conduct limestone biodiversity research.

development, quarrying, mining and land-use changes are being addressed under Target 8 of the National Policy on Biological Diversity 2022–2030, in line with Malaysia’s commitment to protect at least 30% of its land area as protected zones by 2030. To address these challenges, FRIM said flora documentation plays an important role in recording,

In a statement issued in conjunction with the International Day for Biological Diversity, FRIM said the initiative is crucial as limestone ecosystems, formed over millions of years, provide habitats for plants specially adapted to thin, dry, alkaline and nutrient-poor soils. Among the species commonly found in these areas are begonias,

Meiogyne kanthaensis and Vatica kanthanensis at Mount Kanthan, Perak, in 2014. Between 2016 and 2024, discoveries also included Impatiens chikuensis, I. glaricola, I. vinosa, Coleus rafidahiae and Gymnostachyum calcicola in Kelantan, as well as the orchid Thrixspermum merapohense and