SHAH ALAM, Apr 6 — Waste management company KDEB Waste Management (KDEBWM) requires additional funding to ensure smooth and uninterrupted waste collection operations, following the current surge in global fuel prices.
Local government executive councillor Dato’ Ng Suee Lim said he has submitted a request to the state government, while also outlining the situation and constraints expected to be faced by the utility company.
“For the short term, it may still be manageable, but at present we cannot predict when the conflict in West Asia will end. Without additional funding, it will disrupt collection schedules.
“Contractors will definitely be affected, and they will reduce collection trips. This will have a significant impact. We must understand that the sanitation sector is essential and necessary for the state,” he told Media Selangor.
On Friday, KDEBWM managing director Dato’ Ramli Mohd Tahir said the company has been absorbing more than RM4 million in additional diesel costs every month for waste collection operations due to current global tensions.
He said the more than 60 per cent increase has pushed monthly operating costs to nearly RM10 million, compared with around RM6 million previously, posing challenges and affecting the efficiency and continuity of waste management services.
Meanwhile, Ramli said mitigation measures are being planned by the state government with the involvement of several external experts to identify the best solutions without disrupting operations.
As a long-term measure, he added that KDEBWM is open to adopting electric waste collection trucks (EV), but considerations such as capacity, battery durability, investment costs and suitability must be carefully evaluated.
