KDEB Waste Management (KDEBWM) is facing mounting financial pressure, bearing RM5mil a month in diesel operating costs to ensure waste collection throughout Selangor remains uninterrupted.
Managing director Datuk Ramli Mohd Tahir said the sharp spike in market diesel prices has burdened the state-owned company as its fleet of 800 roll-on roll-off (RoRo) lorries do not receive scheduled subsidies.
“I appeal to the government to hear our plight.
“Imagine, the price of diesel previously surged to RM6.02 and even reached RM6.72 per litre.
“If we were eligible for scheduled subsidies like other contractors, we would only need to pay RM1.99 per litre,” he said at a press conference at the company’s headquarters in Shah Alam, reported Bernama.
He added that the company had appealed to Finance Ministry and Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry, but it has not received a reply.
According to Ramli, the lack of access to subsidised fuel for most of its vehicles forced the company to absorb an additional RM5mil monthly, effectively doubling its original expenditure of around RM2.5mil.
He said the situation has become increasingly challenging as service payments from local authorities were typically delayed by 60 to 75 days, thus straining its daily operational cash flow.
“We are a public service provider performing cleaning tasks on behalf of the government,” said Ramli.
“When fuel prices increase by over 100%, the company can no longer sustain the frequency of three trips per day for each RoRo vehicle without financial provisions to cover the extra travel mileage,” he highlighted.
He said KDEBWM would continue to seek consideration from the Federal Government to include RoRo vehicles in the diesel subsidy scheme, to ensure the continuity of essential services.
In another development, Ramli said KDEBWM was ramping up preparations to ensure cleanliness across all venues for Sukma 2026 in Selangor next month.
“We expect a temporary influx of around 150,000 people, including athletes and supporters.
“This will likely cause the amount of solid wastes at competition venues to double from the usual daily volumes.
“Our team is prepared to increase the collection frequency and manage the projected waste surge at affected locations,” he assured.
Ramli said the company had taken the initiative to mobilise additional assets, placing more RoRo and 240-litre mobile rubbish bins in high-traffic areas.
