SHAH ALAM, July 22 — Disrupted operations at the Jeram landfill would affect solid waste collection across Selangor, so contingencies must be strengthened, said KDEB Waste Management Sdn Bhd (KDEBWM) senior general manager (operations) Mohd Idris Mohamed Yusof.
“KDEBWM isn’t the operator of the landfill, instead, we deal directly with the people and local authorities. Any disruption in Jeram would directly affect waste collection services and public complaints,” he told Media Selangor.
He added that landfill maintenance must be done proactively and preventively to reduce the risk of disruptions, and that each landfill must have operational continuity plans in the event of unexpected situations like equipment failure or bad weather.
“Comprehensive contingency plans are important to ensure landfill operations can continue even if there is equipment damage or challenging weather,” he explained.
Idris said early reporting from landfill operators to waste collection companies must be improved to allow for more effective coordination.
“Early information would allow us to rearrange schedules, routes and asset use to minimise disruptions to the people,” he explained.
He also urged better management of lorry traffic and operational capacities in Jeram as the site receives between 800 and 1,000 lorries per day.
“With such high lorry entries every day, traffic management and operational capacities must be improved to ensure landfill processes go smoothly,” he said.
Idris also said successful waste collection doesn’t just depend on KDEBWM, but on every component of the waste management chain, including landfills.
“Incidents like this show the need for continuous improvement so landfill operations are more stable, resilient, and don’t affect waste collection services,” he added, referring to an issue where lorries were stuck in a jam at the Jeram landfill.
A recording of the incident had gone viral on social media and sparked public concern about waste management operations.
Worldwide Holdings Bhd’s Environment Division chief operating officer Daniel Liew however said the recording was of a temporary incident on July 11, which was resolved in an hour.
Liew said the video is being shared again and creating the impression that the congestion is constant, when it is actually influenced by the weather, electricity supply disruptions, and high lorry traffic.
