State Local Government and Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Ng Suee Lim said the adoption of the law would enable stricter enforcement and large-scale monitoring, particularly in tackling cases of illegal waste disposal.
He said the state government had held assessment engagements with the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) and the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT).
In addition, he said the state government had submitted various documents and inventories related to local authorities (PBTs) to the federal government.
“It has been a year and a half since we submitted all the required documents, including those involving third parties. We have now reached the Public Private Partnership Unit (UKAS) level,” he said.
“If everything goes well, we expect that by the third quarter of 2026, or by September, we can sign the agreement once all conditions are agreed upon and proceed with its implementation,” he told reporters at the public cleansing operation in Section 7 here today, which was also attended by KDEB Waste Management Sdn Bhd (KDEBWM) managing director Datuk Ramli Mohd Tahir.
Ng said the implementation of the Act is important as it would provide greater authority in monitoring and administration, particularly in strengthening enforcement against illegal waste disposal activities.
“The Act stipulates that anyone involved in illegal waste disposal can be prosecuted in court and fined up to RM100,000 or sentenced to imprisonment for up to five years.
“By comparison, under local authorities’ by-laws, the penalty imposed is a fine of only RM1,000. As a result, individuals who dispose of waste illegally are not deterred and may choose not to use designated disposal centres in order to save costs,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ng said PBTs can also issue summonses or suspend the operations of any business or entrepreneur who fails to install and properly maintain oil traps, leading to clogged drains.
In a related development, Ng said the state government, through KDEBWM, will also intensify monitoring of waste collection operations to ensure that all cleaning contractors carry out their duties effectively.
“We will ensure they cover the designated areas according to schedule. Supervisors will be deployed to monitor their performance, and penalties will be imposed if they fail to comply,” he said.
He added that KDEBWM is currently carrying out comprehensive mapping and monitoring of waste hotspot areas, with Sentosa and Kota Kemuning among the locations identified.
Meanwhile, Ng said the state government took full note of the reprimand from the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, and would continue to provide the best service to the state and its people, without placing blame on any party.
“We do not want to give excuses for not performing well. We need to find solutions to address the issues,” he said.
Yesterday, the media reported that the Selangor government took full note of and appreciated the Sultan of Selangor’s remarks regarding the level of cleanliness and waste management in several areas under the supervision of the PBTs.
Sultan Sharafuddin, in a recent interview with Bernama, said immediate planning was necessary to clean up Selangor following numerous complaints over the worsening cleanliness in the state.– BERNAMA
