PUTRAJAYA: The government will reform the country’s solid waste management system under the National Public Cleansing Policy, with amendments to the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 to strengthen implementation, said Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming.
Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said the reforms would include improvements to waste collection and separation at source to raise the national recycling rate to the level of developed countries.
“As part of the public cleansing reform, garbage trucks that currently run on fossil fuels, including diesel, will be gradually replaced with electric vehicles (EVs).
“Waste collection and cleansing crews will also shift to night operations, ensuring that when Malaysians wake up, the country is already clean,” he said at the pre-launch of National Landscape Day (HLN) 2026 in Putrajaya on Wednesday (July 29)..
Nga added that the reforms would be implemented under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).
He also noted that the cabinet has agreed to extend the implementation of Act 672 to Selangor.
This follows Selangor's earlier announcement that it planned to sign on to Act 672 by September 2026.
The move means Selangor's 12 local authorities will gradually adopt federal standards for waste collection, recycling and public cleansing.
“This will be carried out in stages and phases. A special task force will be set up to realise this, so that Selangor, as one of the nation’s economic locomotives, will also achieve world-class standards in public cleansing.
“The application of Act 672 will certainly add cheer in conjunction with the Silver Jubilee of His Royal Highness the Sultan of Selangor this year,” Nga added.
