By K B Ng 

KUALA LUMPUR (AWW) - Until about five decades ago, Malaysia's solid waste disposal system was not different from what is still found in many developing countries.

   Every morning, night soil carriers emptied household waste into cans and sold them to farmers who then used it as manure.

   Today, Malaysia has one of the most effective sewerage management systems in the developing world with around 8,000 public sewage treatment plants, 500 network pumping stations, 14,500 kilometres of underground sewerage pipes and half a million household septic tanks connected to the sewers.

   The leap towards effective sanitation began with Vision 2020, a brainchild of former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohammad, which involved privatising sewerage management that used to be a responsibility of local governments.

   A new company – the Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) – was put in charge of sewage management and it turned to other private companies to build waste water management systems.

   It was a win-win for all – the policy shift created new business for companies like the Nishihara Environment Technology Inc. and private sector involvement also brought efficiency into the system. Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi has continued in his predecessor's footsteps and has commissioned construction of more wastewater treatment plants.

   In February, Malaysia's Ministry of Energy, Water and Communication awarded 113.4 million dollar contract to a consortium of three Japanese companies to build four more treatment plants.

   Malaysia has been on a growth trajectory, with economic growth averaging at around 7 percent after 2000 and this has also meant an increase in demand for waste management.

   The four new plants are to be built in Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan and Malacca and will have a total capacity of treating over 40,000 cubic metres of waste water a day – using the oxidation ditch treatment processes.

   All four treatment plants are expected to be completed by August 2008.

 

 Malaysia's 26 million people generate about six million tonnes of sewage every year, most of which is treated and released into the rivers.

   "Since about 98 percent of our fresh water supply comes from surface water, we need to ensure proper treatment of sewage," said Shaiful Bakhri bin Said Abdullah, an official at the Indah Water Konsortium (IWK).

   However, Malaysia’s success in sewage treatment is not matched by its record in solid waste management.

   Malaysia produces about a kilogramme of solid waste per capita per day, but most of it ends up at the 230 landfills that are close to being used to full capacity – and there is very little open space for building new dumps. Estimates suggest that only one to 13 percent of Malaysia’s solid waste is recycled.

   "The treated sludge is clean and can be used in many ways, but no one wants it. We've even tried giving it away for free, but no one wants it. It all gets dumped in the landfills," the IWK official adds.

   Malaysia began privatising solid waste management in 1996 and the most recent Ninth Malaysia Plan makes only a passing reference to the neglect of sludge and solid waste management.

   The only mention of solid waste says the government will undertake "research and development on reuse of sludge for industrial, agricultural and landscape purposes." (END/AWW/IPSAP/KBN/BB/JS/06)