SHAH ALAM, July 27 — Cleanliness complaints in 132 traditional villages across Selangor have fallen by as much as 70 per cent within a few months of the implementation of the beautification plan by KDEB Waste Management (KDEBWM).
Its managing director Dato' Ramli Mohd Tahir said that previously, around 100 complaints were received each month from identified hotspot locations, which have since fallen to just 30 complaints after three months of the programme.
The initiative's effectiveness has also been demonstrated through performance reports presented to local authorities, supported by positive feedback from local communities.
"This means we have successfully reduced complaints by nearly 70 per cent in the areas where interventions were carried out," he told Media Selangor.
Ramli added that the programme is being implemented in phases, with the first phase focusing on areas recording the highest number of complaints and requiring urgent intervention.
Improvements include increasing the frequency of domestic and bulk waste collection, as well as providing additional assets such as rubbish bins and Roll-On Roll-Off containers.
"By increasing collection frequency and adding more assets, we can ensure these areas remain cleaner and better managed locations that previously recorded a high number of complaints," he said.
The programme's performance will continue to be monitored using data from local authorities and residents' feedback to ensure state funding is fully utilised to improve traditional villages' cleanliness.
Meanwhile, Ramli emphasised that its success could not depend solely on increasing waste collection services, instead also requiring a change in public attitudes.
Residents should report illegal dumping, dispose of waste according to collection schedules, and separate household waste to ensure long-term cleanliness in their villages.
"We can increase collection frequency and provide more assets, but that is not a permanent solution. If the community continues to depend entirely on the government, the cost of managing and disposing of waste will continue to rise," he said.
Ramli also proposed that local authorities tighten licensing requirements for commercial premises such as function halls and homestays in village areas to ensure operators take responsibility for managing the waste they generate.
He noted that business operators who profit from their activities should not rely on community rubbish bins to dispose of commercial waste, as this practice places an unnecessary burden on the existing waste collection system.
"If they are granted a licence to operate, they should also demonstrate their ability to manage the waste they generate, whether through KDEB, a contractor, or by providing their own waste management service.
"It is unfair for them to generate profits while taking the easy option of disposing of commercial waste in community bins and expecting KDEB to manage it all the way to the landfill.
"If all parties continue to think this way, efforts to make villages cleaner will not succeed because they will simply keep generating waste while relying on public facilities to manage it," Ramli said.
For the record, Selangor has 275 traditional villages. RM10 million has been allocated to improve the solid waste collection system and raise cleanliness standards in these villages.
The first phase of the pilot project has been implemented in selected traditional villages in Klang, Kajang, Selayang, Gombak, Hulu Langat, Kuala Langat, Kuala Selangor, and Subang Jaya.
