Malaysia Clarifies Position on Dechlorane Plus and UV-328

Malaysia’s Department of Environment (DOE) recently published a notice on the portal of the Malaysia Environmentally Hazardous Substances System (MyEHS) outlining the country’s regulatory position on two persistent organic pollutants (POPs): Dechlorane Plus and UV-328.  

Stockholm Convention Signed but Not Yet Ratified
While Malaysia has signed the Stockholm Convention but has not yet ratified it. Under the Convention, both substances are subject to strict control measures that prohibit their production, use, import, and export, except under certain exemptions. These exemptions must meet the technical and procedural conditions specified in Article 4 of the Convention, including registration with the Stockholm Convention’s Secretariat and a five-year validity period from the Convention’s entry into force for the listed chemicals. 

No Plans to Register Exemptions 
However, since Malaysia has not yet ratified the Convention, the country is not eligible to register any exemptions and currently has no plans to do so. The DOE encourages stakeholders to consult the official Stockholm Convention web portal for further information on allowable exemptions. For local regulatory guidance on the production or use of these chemicals, stakeholders should contact the Chemical Management Division of the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH).