HAPPY NEW YEAR? OR SMELLY NEW YEAR?

For Subang Jaya residents, 2026 did not begin well in terms of waste collection. With rubbish left uncollected in residential and commercial areas for days, confusion, frustration and anger quickly mounted.

We had expected a fresh start. MBSJ had signed a new contract with KDEB Waste Management (KDEBWM), paying far more than before to plug the gaps that had led to mediocre services in recent years. The new contract, which runs from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2032, is valued at RM82.9 million annually. This is an increase from RM73.3 million per year under the previous agreement.

A total of 171 new waste collection vehicles will be deployed, comprising 77 compactor trucks and 94 armroll (RORO) trucks.

Yet Day 1 brought no improvement. The new shiny fleet were not to be seen. By the end of Week 1, the situation was worse than ever.

Our expectations were not merely dashed; we were sorely disappointed. To compound matters, this period coincided with a leadership vacuum at MBSJ. City Councillors’ terms ended on 31 December 2025, and the incoming batch was only sworn in on 9 January 2026.

Community leaders stepped in to manage the chaos, liaising with state assemblywoman Michelle Ng and her office, or directly with MBSJ’s Environmental Management Department. This was not part of community leaders’ core duties; we were firefighting. The officer I regularly engaged with, who oversees SS17, admitted that she and her colleagues were overwhelmed by complaints – all of them valid.

Excuses soon followed. New teams had been assigned to Subang Jaya. They were learning their routes. The fleet of compactors and trucks had yet to receive operational permits from the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD).

Residents were furious. Some reacted irrationally. Yes, we were promised collection three times a week. Was it catastrophic if they came only once or twice? I agree the schedule was not honoured, but aside from being a major management blunder, this was not an emergency.

It was, however, a management crisis caused by poor planning – or worse, no planning. New teams learning new routes? This is 2026. Plot the routes on Google Maps and ask drivers to follow the digital voice.

As for the fleet not receiving clearance in time? Surely this could have been forecast, with a buffer period built in. A hiccup might mean 10–20% of the fleet held back. If 50–70% cannot roll out because of paperwork, that is not a hiccup but full-blown diarrhea.

To their credit, KDEBWM did switch to crisis mode. Back-up compactors were summoned from other towns and cities. Some sub-contractors shared lorries, forcing trucks to make double trips daily. Crews worked round the clock. The men on the ground laboured tirelessly to clean up the mess created by those in air-conditioned offices.

As KRT SS17 chairman, I sent a note to residents advising them to manage expectations and, most importantly, not to hurl abuse at the collectors. We are all frustrated, but let us not target the little guys, who are likely not at fault. I called for calm, urging residents to endure the situation for a month and give MBSJ, KDEBWM and their sub-contractors a grace period to get up to speed.

If matters did not stabilise within a month, I promised to go witch-hunting. Thankfully, the situation improved gradually after mid-January. The pitchfork can stay in the barn.