Before (left) and after photos of the mountain of rubbish at the waste transfer station near MRR2 in Kuala Lumpur. — Photos courtesy of DBKL
THE mounting waste problem at Kuala Lumpur’s main transfer station has been brought under control, says Datuk Fadlun Mak Ujud.
The Kuala Lumpur mayor said rubbish on the ground had been cleared and collection operations stabilised.
“The rubbish has been managed. You will not see rubbish left on sidewalks in the area anymore,” he told StarMetro.
Fadlun: Everything at transfer station working properly now.He said the problem at the city’s main transfer station near Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2) was triggered by an overwhelming surge of rubbish, with some 20,000 tonnes accumulating over several days during the last week of December.
He said the volume exceeded the capacity of the facility’s compactors after operations were disrupted earlier.
Subsequent equipment breakdowns further hindered waste processing.
StarMetro had reported that operational disruptions at the waste transfer station resulted in 50% of rubbish being sent directly to the Bukit Tagar landfill, about 60km away, for nearly two weeks.
The station normally handles up to 2,700 tonnes of waste a day.
Rubbish is unloaded, compacted and treated there before being sent to landfills.
Fadlun said he had been briefed by Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) and National Solid Waste Management Department (JSPN) that the breakdowns were linked to the overload.
When pressed for details on the extent of the equipment failure, including how many compactors or hoppers were affected, the mayor said he was unable to provide such information.
“As far as I know, everything is working properly now,” he said.
“I can safely say that the situation is being managed at this point.”
He added that further technical details would have to come from the relevant authorities.
From Dec 31, 2025, to Jan 10, half of the rubbish collected in Kuala Lumpur was sent straight to the landfill instead of the waste transfer station, which also affected collection schedules across the city.
Waste contractors were directed to the landfill because the transfer station’s processing capacity was reduced to about 50% due to equipment malfunction, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The contractors, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were instructed to unload only half of the collected amount at the transfer station.
“With lorries unable to unload waste and collection schedules thrown off, bags of household rubbish and bulky waste were left along roadsides and pavements, overwhelming routine collection points,” one contractor said.
The disruption has raised the spectre of a similar failure in 2013, when all compactors at the same transfer station broke down, resulting in about 250 tonnes of rubbish being dumped illegally along MRR2.
The transfer station, which has been operating since April 2002, belongs to Housing and Local Government Ministry.
Its operations are monitored by SWCorp and managed by an appointed contractor.
The previous contract was terminated in 2013 because of serious operational failures.
Operations were subsequently taken over by Alam Flora Environmental Solutions until June 2023, after which a new contract was awarded to current operator Bumi Segar Indah Sdn Bhd.
A Bumi Segar Indah spokesperson acknowledged operational issues, but said rubbish left along roadsides had since been cleared.
The spokesperson declined to elaborate further.
