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Ensuring proper waste disposal |
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Sunday, 08 July 2007 |
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The Sunday Star
by Zulkifli Abd Rahman
TWO important Bills related to the Housing and Local Government Ministry were
tabled during last week’s sitting by its minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting.
The Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Bill 2007 and the Solid Waste
and Public Management Corporation Bill 2007 were passed by the House.
Consequential amendments were also made to three other related Bills and were
passed.
They were Local Government (Amendment) Bill; Street, Drainage and Building
(Amendment) Bill; and the Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Bill.
Ong hailed the passing of the Bills as landmark decisions which would help
create a systematic solid waste management programme throughout the country.
The Bills will result in the setting-up of a National Solid Waste Management
Department as the regulatory body and the Solid Waste Management Corporation to
conduct the operations.
The corporation will also take over the role of managing solid waste from the
local authorities.
It will be financed with an RM1bil launching grant while staff will be seconded
from the local authorities with focus on solid waste management experience.
The MPs saw the Bills as an important step in creating first-class solid waste
management, public cleanliness programmes and recycling systems.
Many of them hoped that the new laws and amendments to the present ones would
see a change for the better in the solid waste management process and more
efficient cleaning work by the authorities and contractors in their districts.
They welcomed the minister’s call for the recycling, reducing and reusing (3Rs)
campaign among the public in their constituencies to be intensified in the near
future.
Hamim Samuri (BN – Ledang) said he was concerned that local council workers who
were seconded to private concessionaires such as Southern Waste Management and
Alam Flora would not get their benefits such as bonuses.
“The companies claimed that they couldn’t give the money to them because the
local councils didn’t have enough to pay the concessionaires. This problem
should be resolved first,” he added.
Hamim also suggested that the Government launch an education programme first
before applying the law on getting the people to recycle their waste and
maintaining cleanliness in their districts.
“The Department should not just re-launch the 'Saya Cinta Alam Sekitar' (I Love
the Environment) campaign. The people must be properly inculcated with the
recycling idea,” he added.
Datuk Badruddin Amiruldin (BN – Jerai) said the reason many local authorities
lacked enough income was that there were many cases of ratepayers who had not
paid their dues for years.
“It’s time the e-payment system be implemented so that the councils can
immediately trace who had defaulted,” he added.
Datuk Idris Haron (BN – Tangga Batu) said incinerators would help to reduce
solid waste and reusable energy could be tapped to save operating costs.
Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit (BN – Mambong) warned that incremental costs might
have to be accepted by the local authorities if they wanted to set up
incinerators.
“Separating and cleaning plastics, glass and metals must be carried out before
they are recycled. Even this method uses extra energy and costs.
“Western countries have not been recycling some types of plastics because of the
costs involved and the fear of cancer-causing emissions from certain types of
plastics.
“Recycling methods in this country must not be carried out in an ad-hoc
fashion,” he added.
Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri (BN – Kudat) highlighted the positive aspect of a
latest-technology incinerator, which he saw during a visit to Taiwan.
The incinerator was located in the middle of a business district.
“It’s clean and had no emissions and there’s even a revolving restaurant on top
of it,” he added.
Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob (BN – Bera) said the new laws must resolve operational
problems among different agencies.
“The Drainage and Irrigation Department funds river clean-up operations but it’s
the district councils who should bear the costs,” he added.
Dr Tan Seng Giaw (DAP – Kepong) said the Government should reveal the contract
agreement signed with Alam Flora, Southern Waste Management and E-Idaman.
“We must ensure that future contracts with concessionaires will see that they
will receive their payments from local authorities,” he added.
The MPs welcomed the Bills, which they said would clear up the issues of solid
waste management problems and outstanding debts to concessionaires and move
towards a more efficient recycling campaign.
They were happy that Ong was patient enough to explain details of the Bills and
replied to each of their concerns during the debates.
In his winding-up speech, Ong said the Government worked for the people’s
welfare, adding that the public would not be burdened with fee increases once
the waste management and cleanliness programme was implemented.
He assured that none of the local council workers would be made redundant once
the corporation was formed.
“We want to reduce the bureaucratic problems affecting solid waste management.
“More importantly, we want the public to join us in helping to create a cleaner
and healthier country to live in,” Ong added.
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Waste & Climate Conference, Copenhagen (7-18 December 2009)
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