Proceedings of the Asia regional workshop on the

● Restriction on <strong>the</strong> sale <strong>of</strong> monocrotophos, methamidophos and acephate
● Review <strong>of</strong> registration status
● Improvement <strong>of</strong> information on labels and its presentation
● Improvement in pesticide application technology to ensure that pesticides are applied
efficiently
● Education and training on <strong>the</strong> safe handling <strong>of</strong> pesticides
● Implementation and promotion <strong>of</strong> Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
● Monitoring <strong>of</strong> pesticide residue through market sampling
There is however no training program/projects focusing on risk reduction.
Severely toxic pesticides
Under <strong>the</strong> Pesticides Act 1974, it is provided that <strong>the</strong> Pesticides Board may order <strong>the</strong>
cancellation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> registration <strong>of</strong> a pesticide if <strong>the</strong> Board considers it undesirable that <strong>the</strong> pesticide
should continue to remain registered owing to its toxicity or inefficacy. The recent concluded
decision by <strong>the</strong> Pesticides Board is <strong>the</strong> phasing out <strong>of</strong> endosulfan effective 15 August 2005 under <strong>the</strong>
pesticide risk reduction programme due to its extreme toxicity to fish and o<strong>the</strong>r aquatic life. All <strong>the</strong>
nine pesticides (viz. aldrin, dieldrin, DDT, endrin, chlordane, hexachlorobenzene, mirex, toxaphere
and heptachlor) currently listed as POPs are no longer used in Malaysia. O<strong>the</strong>r pesticides such as
Folpet, Sodium PCP, Captafol, Parathion-methyl, azinphos-ethyl and benomyl have also been
deregistered.
Pesticide disposal
Disposal <strong>of</strong> pesticides has not ben a significant problem in Malaysia. There is a plant in <strong>the</strong>
country that deals exclusively with toxic wastes disposal and it is an <strong>of</strong>fence to discharge any toxic
waste into <strong>the</strong> environment.
At present, pesticide labels provide guidelines for burying empty pesticide containers as
a means <strong>of</strong> disposal. It is on <strong>the</strong> agenda that more detailed information such as providing guidelines
on <strong>the</strong> proper method for burying such containers, probably on <strong>the</strong> minimum acceptable depth <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
hole or triple rinsing/crushing <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> containers before burying or for recycle for <strong>the</strong> purpose <strong>of</strong>
turning into pellet should be included.
However, Malaysia has started with a pilot project to recycle pesticide containers in April
2003 in a vegetable growing area involving issuing <strong>of</strong> discount voucher. Priority is given to <strong>the</strong> High
Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE) containers, which have been used in abundance in this region, and
rinsed following <strong>the</strong> triple rinsing method. This project is proven to be quite successful. With that,
<strong>the</strong> recycle programme <strong>of</strong> pesticide containers was subsequently implemented in 2005 and extended
to o<strong>the</strong>r vegetables growing areas and crops such as oil palm through <strong>the</strong> pesticide extension system.
It is also our priority to educate farmers or users to use only pesticide in <strong>the</strong> amount sufficient
for <strong>the</strong> purpose, not only to save cost and also to prevent any excess <strong>of</strong> pesticides being released into
<strong>the</strong> environment that could give rise to unnecessary containment in <strong>the</strong> living surrounding.
- 112 -