There are two (2) acts related to solid waste management and public cleansing:
• Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672)
• Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation Act 2007 (Act 673)
(1) Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672)
The Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672), enacted under Articles 74(1) and 80(2) of the Federal Constitution, was gazetted on 30 August 2007 and came into force on 1 September 2011 in seven (7) states: Perlis, Kedah, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Johor and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.
The primary objectives of the enactment of Act 672 are –
(a) to ensure uniformity in laws and policies governing matters related to the regulation and control of solid waste management and public cleansing, and
(b) to provide executive powers to the Federal Government concerning solid waste management and public cleansing
in Peninsular Malaysia and the Federal Territories of Putrajaya and Labuan.
In effect, the adoption and implementation of Act 672 indicate that responsibility for the management of controlled solid waste and public cleansing in these seven states is entrusted to the Federal Government, including enforcement actions.
(2) Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation Act 2007 (Act 673)
The Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation Act 2007 (Act 673) was also gazetted on 30 August 2007 and came into force on 1 June 2008.
Act 673 is aimed at establishing a corporation called the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (also known by the acronym ‘SWCorp’), which is empowered to administer and enforce laws related to solid waste management and public cleansing, and related matters.
Through Act 673, SWCorp, which also acts as the implementer of national cleanliness policies, is vested with specific powers and functions to ensure the orderly implementation of solid waste management and public cleansing in states that have adopted Act 672.