THE state government, through both the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) and the Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP), will reintroduce initiatives to educate the community about waste segregation at source policy.
State Local Government, Town, and Country Planning Committee chairman Jason H’ng announced that the policy enforcement is scheduled for July next year.
“The waste segregation at source initiative, launched in 2017, was actively promoted in residential areas.However, when the pandemic hit in 2020, the enforcement was halted.
“People have also slowly forgotten it.
“Now, we want to reactivate the educational campaign for waste segregation at source before enforcing the policy next year in July.
“Together with the local governments, we hope the relevant non-governmental organisations (NGOs) will also collaborate to make the campaign a success again,” H’ng said during a press conference at the Ampang Jajar Waste Transfer Station
H’ng was at the Ampang Jajar Waste Transfer Station to launch the groundbreaking ceremony of the Integrated Solid Waste Management Centre (ISWMC), which will start its operation of processing domestic waste, garden waste, and construction waste (C&D) in February 2025.
The ISWMC will be managed by Greenviro Solutions Sdn Bhd.
“The ISWMC is the first in Malaysia that will be using domestic waste as the main material to produce methane in an Anaerobic Digester (AD).
“It is estimated that this facility can process 1,200 metric tonnes of waste per day and will reach its maximum capacity by 2040.
“With the establishment of this ISWMC, the domestic waste sent to the Pulau Burung Landfill can be reduced contributing to the extension of its lifespan,” he added.
Apart from the ISWMC, the Ampang Jajar Cleaning Depot and MBSP’s Landscape Department Operations Office will be also built at the site.
Also present were MBSP Mayor Datuk Azhar Arshad and Greenviro Solutions Sdn Bhd general manager Datuk Syamshuar Husin.
On a separate matter, H’ng said that the Penang State Planning Committee (SPC) is currently examining the matter related to the objection by the residents at the Bukit Indera Muda neighbourhood against a proposed development at the Chinese cemetery area.
It is learned that the objection was submitted by the Persatuan Keturunan Guang Dong Seberang Perai.
Meanwhile, H’ng also shared that the proposed construction of a workers’ dormitory in Bayan Lepas must go through processes such as getting the approval of SIA (Social Impact Assessment Report) and EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment Report), adhering to site zoning regulations, and so on.
“This is to check whether the project is suitable or not on the site,” he said while adding that the worker’s dormitory, which was built in Bukit Tengah, received objections initially but has since demonstrated positive results,” he said.
In response to a reporter’s question, H’ng mentioned that he was uncertain whether the proposed construction of a workers’ dormitory in Teluk Kumbar would be implemented. He said that it depends on the application submitted by the developer.
Story by Tanushalini Moroter
Pix by Noor Siti Nabilah Noorazis