At least 12 licensed compact disc factories in Malaysia are allegedly making pirated CDs for export as far as Britain and Latin America, according to the music trade association.

Recording Industry Association of Malaysia chief executive officer Tan Ngiap Foo said evidence of their activities had been sent to the government to back up complaints over the past three years.

"The CD plants are still operating despite our complaints, so we do not know what form of action the government has taken," Tan said over the weekend.

"All of these plants can only operate with government licences. They are trying to hide their tracks by deleting an embedded factory code on the discs."

Tan said the pirated CDs have landed in India, in the UK, Latin American countries and more recently in South Africa. These contain music, movies, software and pornography.

Each factory can churn out at least 20,000 CDs daily, he said, leading to an estimated loss of RM100 in annual sales for the local and international music industries.

Forensic tests on sample discs by worldwide music body International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, based in Britain, have traced the goods back to the Malaysian factories, said Tan.

"With the forensic tests we are able to say for sure. It's equivalent to DNA tests so we are able to trace the source of manufacture," he said.

While praising the government for raiding seven unlicensed CD plants this year, Tan also called for action against licensed factories.

The government began licensing CD manufacturers in 2000, with 44 plants registered to date.

Malaysia is awash with pirated discs despite periodic crackdowns on sellers and a high-profile campaign urging Malaysians to shun them.- AFP