Selangor govt, state agency to review waste management guidelines

PETALING JAYA: The Selangor government and state agency PLANMalaysia Selangor will review the guidelines related to waste management, in acknowledging that the current provisions could be interpreted differently and have led to confusion.

Local government committee chairman Ng Suee Lim said they will improve the guidelines with the help of NGOs, industry players, local councils and related agencies.

“This review is to ensure that the guidelines remain relevant and practical, take into account operational realities, and align with federal policies and guidelines,” Ng said in a statement.

He said the state government is not introducing new policies, but was improving existing guidelines to cater to current needs.

His statement follows concerns raised by Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung, of PKR, over the Selangor State Planning Guidelines and Standards for Commercial Development 2025.

Lee said one of the requirements for shopping malls in the state was to segregate the waste into halal organic waste and non-halal organic waste, among others.

He questioned how halal and non-halal organic wastes were defined, and wondered if shopping malls were required to introduce additional bins, storage facilities, and handling procedures, which would involve extra operational costs.

Ng said the provision on halal and non-halal wastes was not new and had been in existence since 2010.

“And the provision (on segregating the waste) refers to the waste collection areas at supermarkets or hypermarkets and not dustbins in public spaces.

“Till now, these premises are adopting such practices, and it is not an issue for operators or the general public,” he said.