Mobile e-Waste programme sets one-million target

CYBERJAYA: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) launched a mobile phone recycling programme to advocate the public on the environmentally safe disposal of the communication gadget.
The "Mobile e-Waste: Old Phone, New Life" programme was done in collaboration with communications industry players such as UMobile, Malaysian Technical Standards Forum Bhd, and TM.
Communications and Multimedia Deputy Minister Datuk Jailani Johari said the programme targets to have one million mobile phones recycled in a year of its initiative.
"We have prepared 72 recycling boxes to be placed in all our participating telecommunications partners outlets nationwide. I am confident in the programme achieving its one million target," he said at the launch in MCMC building yesterday which was also attended by MCMC chairman Datuk Seri Dr Halim Shafie.
Jailani advised the public to participate in the programme by disposing their old unused mobile phones into the recycled boxes so as to prevent health hazard to the environment.
"This programme is targeted to raise public awareness in the proper disposal of unused mobile phones safely. We hope to extend the programme by also include other organisations such as universities and corporate parties," he said.
A statistic by Sirim indicated a total of 42 million units of mobile phones registered prior to 2013, higher than the estimated 30 million population in Malaysia.
The unused gadgets are either kept in homes or have ended up in the landfills.
Meanwhile, MCMC chairman Datuk Seri Halim Shafie refused to comment further when asked if the commission had made engagement with social media platform providers in curbing the increase of false information on the internet.
This followed a blog post by the Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak on Aug 17, which has ordered MCMC to seek such cooperation with Twitter, Facebook and Google to halt the spread of lies on social media platforms.