Residents get rude wake-up call over rubbish

RESIDENTS of a medium-cost apartment in Putrajaya were taken aback when enforcement officers from the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) paid them an unexpected visit at 8pm on Wednesday night.

The officers instructed all tenants of Putra Harmoni Apartment to step out of their units and gather the rubbish bags that had been left outside their doors, along corridors, lift areas and staircases.

They were directed to bring down their rubbish bags to the three refuse rooms (rumah sampah) downstairs.

The intervention came after SWCorp received a distress call from the Presinct 9 apartment’s Management Corporation (MC) over the escalating problem of indiscriminate rubbish dumping within the premises.

During the two-hour operation, about 264kg of waste, including plastic, paper, fabric and rotting food, were collected from corridors, lift areas and staircases.

The operation, dubbed Operasi Sampah Bungkus, was conducted from 8.30pm to 10.30pm and involved a team of 160 officers and cleaners from SWCorp, police, Putrajaya Corporation (PPj, the apartment’s MC and Alam Flora.

Officers from the Putrajaya Health office and its Vector Control Unit were also present.

“We received a call from the MC of the apartment begging for our help to manage the waste problem in the apartment which was worsening by the day,” said SWCorp Federal Territories director Ummi Kalthum Shuib.

Residents of Putra Harmoni Apartment in Putrajaya helping to sort waste for proper disposal.

“They were aware that we are currently ramping up enforcement at strata properties on waste segregation,” she added.

Putri Harmoni Apartment has four blocks.

“Block B was okay since the majority of the residents are locals, but the other blocks, which mostly housed foreigners, were a big mess.”

She said the residents of some 198 units in Blocks A, C and D were trained on how to separate and dispose of waste properly.

“We asked the tenants to come out of their units, pick up the rubbish bags that were left outside corridors, lifts and staircases to be brought down to the refuse room.

“These bags contained waste that was at least three days’ old, judging from the stench and maggots.”

The Alam Flora team then went floor to floor to wash the area down with water jets.

SWCorp had earlier engaged with the MC to clean and upgrade the apartment’s three refuse rooms, which had become a dumping ground.

Ummi Kalthum said the agency will be working with the MC to instal CCTVs around the area to deter people from throwing rubbish indiscriminately.

She advised apartment Joint Management Bodies (JMBs) and MCs to start working to change residents’ attitudes towards proper garbage disposal.

“Next year, we will be enforcing the separation-at-source programme at strata properties and spot checks will be carried out from time to time,” said Ummi Kalthum.

According to the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672) for strata properties, the JMB and MC can be fined RM100, RM200 and RM500 respectively.

After the third offence, legal action will be initiated.

JMBs and MCs who need help can contact SWCorp at 03-2245 9292 or email wp@swcorp.my