PUTRAJAYA: The Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government ministry (KPKT) will assist Penang with its post-flood solid waste management.
This was despite the state government's refusal to adopt the Solid Waste and Public Cleaning Act 2007 (Act 672) said its minister Tan Sri Noh Omar.
"Without Act 672, the solid waste in Penang is technically managed by the state government itself.
"But my ministry had agreed to help because we pity the flood victims. I don't think we should politicise their bad flood situation there," he said after the launch of his ministry's Innovation Day celebration this afternoon.
In its concerted effort to promote recycling, the Federal government has enforced waste segregation law Act 672 in all the states in Peninsular Malaysia - except Penang, Selangor, Kelantan, Perak and Terengganu, which are managing their waste independently.
The centralised waste management initiative is undertaken by the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp), a division under KPKT.
According to Noh, he had discussed the matter with Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng while visiting the Fire and Rescue Department personnel on duty at the flood-hit areas yesterday.
"The Chief Minister of Penang met me and we discussed how to clean up the areas. He asked the ministry to help in terms of cleaning up the roads and fallen trees. He asked for backhoes and the Fire and Rescue Department to send lorries and remove the garbage."
The SWCorp team has been dispatched to Seberang Perai Utara this morning to help in cleaning up the flood-hit areas.
"We are doing this voluntarily. Some 1,000 Fire and Rescue Department personnel are also there in Penang to help the flood victims," he said.