Experts Urge Smart Waste Management Reforms In Selangor

SHAH ALAM, Dec 14 (Bernama) --  The Selangor government should consider implementing a solid waste management system based on a centralised monitoring model and the use of smart waste technologies to improve cleanliness, service efficiency and urban sustainability.

The move is seen as capable of strengthening waste collection services, reducing long-term costs and enhancing the public’s experience of urban services, in line with the state’s smart city development aspirations.

Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Seremban Campus, Faculty of Administrative Science and Policy Studies senior lecturer, Dr Mazlan Che Soh said the use of technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, data analytics and real-time monitoring could improve operational efficiency while reducing long-term costs, as practised in cities such as Singapore, Barcelona and Amsterdam.

He said a technology-driven approach would not only strengthen the effectiveness of waste management but also position Selangor as a national and regional leader in smart and sustainable urban governance.

Mazlan said to ensure consistent and effective follow-up, the state government should establish clear, measurable and outcome-oriented key performance indicators (KPIs), including a reduction in public complaints, improved public satisfaction with waste collection services, compliance with collection schedules by concessionaires and higher rates of sustainable waste management.

“These KPIs must be monitored regularly and supported by independent audits and public reporting, in line with best practices in countries such as Japan and South Korea, which emphasise transparency and performance discipline in local government management,” he told Bernama.

He was commenting on a royal address by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who said he had received numerous complaints about poor cleanliness in the state and called for immediate planning to clean it up.

The Sultan said the increase in complaints, complete with names and contact details, showed that the public genuinely wanted follow-up action, reflecting growing concern over urban cleanliness.

Mazlan said unsystematic waste management not only affected environmental cleanliness but also harmed a city’s image and investor confidence, particularly in high-impact areas such as the Klang Valley. Selangor, he said, plays a key role as the nation’s economic and industrial hub.

He added that there was an urgent need to accelerate governance reforms and review standard operating procedures (SOPs) at the local authority level to ensure higher levels of accountability, efficiency and responsiveness to public needs.

Mazlan said this was in line with the Malaysia MADANI aspirations, which emphasise good governance, social justice and public well-being, as well as the Public Service Reform Agenda (ARPA), which focuses on high-impact, people-centred service delivery.

“Sultan Sharafuddin’s address should be seen as a strategic reminder that urban cleanliness is not merely an operational issue, but a direct reflection of the effectiveness of state and local government governance,” he said.

Meanwhile, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Forestry and Environment Faculty deputy dean, Prof Dr Latifah Abd Manaf, said solid waste management should be implemented in an integrated manner, covering the entire chain from generation, collection and transportation to disposal.

She said solid waste should not be seen as a burden, but as a resource that can be reused.

“With proper planning and strategy, waste can be transformed into a valuable resource, creating new economic opportunities while reducing pressure on landfill sites,” she said.

Latifah added that to achieve these objectives, the state government needed to adopt a comprehensive approach by strengthening the use of smart technologies, setting transparent KPIs and consistently reforming local authority governance to ensure waste management is carried out more effectively and sustainably.

She said such measures were important not only to safeguard public well-being and urban cleanliness, but also to preserve the state’s image and maintain investor confidence in Selangor as the country’s main economic growth centre.

-- BERNAMA