KOTA BHARU: Kelantan is set to adopt the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act 2007 (Act 672) in response to rising waste management costs, following a briefing with the National Solid Waste Management Department.
State Local Government, Housing, Health and Environment Committee chairman Hilmi Abdullah said, nevertheless, Kelantan aims to include a provision that would allow the state to appoint its own waste management contractors, following a model already implemented in Selangor and Penang.
“Several states, including Selangor, Terengganu, Perak and Penang, are also in talks to adopt this act. We don’t want Kelantan to fall behind,” he told Bernama at the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration and the launch of Semar Emas Enterprise’s new compactor lorry here on Monday (April 28).
Kelantan had previously rejected the act due to conditions that required the transfer of state authority over waste management to the federal government, but is now seeking a renegotiation of terms over the sector’s growing financial pressures.
Hilmi said a special briefing will be held in Putrajaya for district council presidents and the State Economic Planning Unit to discuss the matter further.
In another development, he reported that the state’s RM2,000 fine for improper waste disposal is showing positive results.
Local councils, supported by closed-circuit television (CCTV) monitoring, have successfully reduced violations, with no new fines issued recently, said Hilmi.
“This approach is working and it’s helping keep the state clean,” he added. – Bernama
