By Danial Dzulkifly
BANGI, June 13 — The Selangor government is engaging with local communities, including protest groups, over the proposed waste-to-energy (WTE) project in Batu Arang, Rawang, amid continued public objections, said Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari.
He confirmed that no formal planning permission has been received, nor has any approval been granted for the project, as it is undergoing an environmental impact assessment (EIA).
“This is still in the early stages. The planning application hasn’t even reached us yet. The EIA alone could take at least a year, sometimes up to two years, before it is eligible for the next phase,” he said at a press conference in conjunction with the soft launch of the Selangor Techsphere Summit at Tenera Hotel here today.
Amirudin acknowledged concerns raised by Batu Arang residents but clarified that protests are centred on the proposal to implement two projects simultaneously and near consecutively — one in Batu Arang, Rawang, handled by the federal government, and the other in Jeram, under the state government.
He said discussions are ongoing to potentially consolidate the two projects to minimise public concern and ensure operational efficiency.
“We are willing to sit down with the Public-Private Partnership Unit and the Housing and Local Government Ministry to see if both plans, the one in Rawang under the federal government and ours, can be merged. That would reduce the scale of disruption and make it more manageable.”
[caption id="attachment_330937" align="aligncenter" width="1080"]
Menteri Besar Dato' Seri Amirudin Shari (fourth from right) officiating the Jeram waste-to-energy plant's groundbreaking ceremony on October 17, 2023. — Picture via FACEBOOK/AMIRUDIN SHARI[/caption]
Amirudin believes the Jeram WTE plant, which is to be completed by year end or early 2026, could ease public anxiety about such facilities.
“When it is operational, I believe the community will see that a WTE facility is not as problematic as feared. It is not an incinerator in the traditional sense,” he said.
The Gombak MP stressed that Selangor needs sustainable solutions to manage the state’s mounting waste burden, which has reached 8,000 tonnes daily.
The Jeram plant will only be able to handle 3,500 tonnes, less than half of the current daily waste volume, leaving significant gaps in capacity, he said.
“That's why we're also exploring other locations like Tanjung Dua Belas. At this rate, we’ll still have over 2,000 tonnes of waste unaccounted for, even after Jeram and future plants come online,” Amirudin said.
He reiterated that public objections are part of the process, and Selangor must move forward with long-term strategies for waste management and environmental sustainability.
“We understand the objections raised and we are not brushing them aside, but we also have to be responsible in ensuring our waste management system can cope; now and in the future,” he said.
