PETALING JAYA: The door is always open for the remaining states which have yet to adopt the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act, says the Housing and Local Government Ministry.
The Act, also known as Act 672, makes it compulsory for solid waste separation at source into recyclables and non-recyclables.
Currently, it is only applies in Pahang, Johor, Melaka, Negri Sembilan, Perlis, Kedah, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.
The solid waste management for Sabah and Sarawak is under the authority of the respective state governments, which have their own legislation.
“The Act is enacted to ensure uniformity of law and solid waste management policy throughout Peninsular Malaysia and the federal territories.
“It is important to improve solid waste management and standardise the services to ensure an orderly and quality system.
“The ministry is ready to coordinate for more detailed discussions if any state government (which has yet to adopt the Act) decides to implement it in the future,” the ministry said in a written reply to The Star.
For states and federal territories which had adopted the Act, the public cleansing and waste management are being carried out by the concessionaires and overseen by the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation.
As for those that had not implemented the Act, the respective local or state government is responsible for the tasks.
The ministry said its focus now is to speed up the transition process of solid waste management from a linear economy model (buy-use-throw) to a more sustainable circular economy model that involves the sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling of goods as outlined in the 12th Malaysia Plan.
”We are committed to implement the circular economy initiative and to coordinate the provisions in the relevant legislation such as the Local Government Act 1976, the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Enactment 2022 (Sabah) and the Local Authorities Ordinance 1996 (Sarawak),” it added.
