JALAN Melor residents in Kajang, Selangor, who are not receiving waste disposal services have been advised by the local council to throw their domestic waste in the nearest communal bin.
This is until the ongoing waste collection issue in their area is resolved, says Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) Services and Health Department director Shariman Mohd Nor.
“The nearest communal bin to Jalan Melor is at Sungai Ramal, which is less than 1km away.
“These bins are serviced by contractors from KDEB Waste Management,” he added.
KDEB is appointed by Selangor government to manage domestic waste collection and public cleansing.
“We cannot compel the contractors to extend their services beyond their designated areas,” said Shariman.
He said that as Jalan Melor was outside MPKj’s jurisdiction, it was not responsible for the area’s waste management.
The residents’ problem arose, he said, when the private waste collection contractor they had engaged for several years discontinued the services recently.
“The property owners in Jalan Melor, comprising about 20 houses, do not pay assessment tax to MPKj, and as such, are not included in our waste management services,” Shariman told StarMetro after the council’s full board meeting at Menara MPKj.
He said for areas that were not under MPKj jurisdiction, the local council placed communal bins at strategic locations for public use.
In the past, he said residents had hired a waste collection contractor under KDEB for a fee, to provide doorstep services similar to that provided by MPKj in its areas of jurisdiction.
However, the issue arose when KDEB changed the contractor servicing the area, and the new service provider refused to collect waste from Jalan Melor.
“The residents had grown accustomed to having their waste collected from their doorsteps and now find it inconvenient to use the communal bins.
“Unfortunately, unless they can find a new contractor willing to provide this service, they will have no choice but to use the communal bin.
“MPKj has no authority to intervene in this matter and the situation must be resolved by the residents themselves,” said Shariman.
Separately, on the waste collection schedule on the first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, MPKj president Nazli Md Taib said there would be changes in the timing.
The contractors, he said, would be making their rounds on compactors starting from 2am until the job was completed.
“This is to ensure that the Muslim workers are able to go for prayers in the morning.
“The waste collection schedule will return to normal from the next day onwards,” he said.
