THE Covid-19 pandemic has significantly changed how we do things.

For example, it is becoming the new norm to work from home. While working from home is not anything new, it has become more common because of the pandemic. This method has been adopted by many institutions, including universities and colleges.

Teachers and lecturers are still able to teach from home. As a result, there is growing demand for electronics, such as personal computers (PCs), laptops, tablets and smartphones to facilitate teaching.

In fact, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC), there is a strong demand for tablets and PCs in the first half of 2020 which surpassed supply.

The organisation indicates that this is motivated largely by work from home and education.

Similarly, Amarjit Sandhu, vice-president of Micron Malaysia backend assembly and test operations, said demand for E&E products, such as laptops, PCs and solid-state drives (SSDs) has increased along with services, such as gaming, infotainment and networking. 

He also said people were queuing up in computer stores to get PCs and laptops to prepare for work and research and entertainment when the movement-control order (MCO) was about to take effect.

In addition, the government is promoting the “go dgital” initiative under the recovery programme of Penjana, strengthening the foundations of digital connectivity through the upgrading and expansion of telecommunications networks across Malaysia.

The government has, therefore, launched the Jendela action plan aimed at providing robust, high-quality broadband coverage and preparing the nation for a steady transition to 5G technology under the 12th Malaysia Plan (2021 to 2025).

This will further speed up the demand for the E&E products.

Moreover, with the rising trend of digital payment, e-commerce and the growth of the online gaming industry would also increase the market for E&E goods.

Therefore, if the discarded E&E product is not properly handled in the long term, it will lead to the increase of e-waste in our country.

Local governments specifically must prepare to handle these problems as soon as possible before they worsen. For example, develop specific by-laws to address e-waste issues. – September 15, 2020.

* Dr Haidy Henry Dusim is a senior lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Sabah.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.