Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) is facing mounting pressure to resolve a recurring waste collection crisis that has left residents frustrated and councillors overwhelmed.
Zone 10 councillor Ahmad Zahiri Zahid Sofian described the situation over the past six weeks as a “nightmare”, noting that overflowing bins and inconsistent collection schedules had become a primary source of public frustration.
“This not only affects cleanliness; it also creates a negative perception of the local authority and state government,” Ahmad Zahiri said during the council’s full board meeting on Thursday at MPS’ headquarters in Bandar Baru Selayang.
“People’s perception is shaped by what they see every day in their neighbourhoods.”
He urged the local council to implement stricter monitoring and regular performance audits of waste concessionaire KDEB Waste Management Sdn Bhd (KDEBWM).
He said that weaknesses flagged on the ground should be addressed quickly to maintain service standards.
Ahmad Zahiri said that area supervisors, who were supposed to carry out daily rounds and monitor conditions, were often not present on the ground.
In response, MPS president Shahman Jalaludin noted the challenges but maintained that the municipal council rated the contractor’s performance as “good and satisfactory”.
“We will push them to reach an excellent level,” he said.
He added that the local council was working with KDEBWM to identify the root causes of repeat problem locations.
Shahman explained that a surge in household rubbish after several festivals earlier this year had heavily strained operations.
However, he admitted that recurring rubbish build-ups persisted in some locations.
“Even when we clean up at a certain spot, sometimes we see more rubbish there by evening,” Shahman noted.
“We are looking at additional measures to strengthen existing services,” he assured.
He expressed hope that the high volume of complaints would reduce after March, once operations stabilise.
