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  PlanetSave 14 Mar 06
Malaysia may close all uncovered garbage dumps near largest city over pollution issues

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) _ Malaysia is considering banning uncovered garbage dumps near its largest city, Kuala Lumpur, two weeks after waste from one site was said to have polluted a major source of drinking water, a report said Tuesday.

Environment Minister Azmi Khalid said a Cabinet-level committee set up to look into river pollution was considering banning the open dumps, the Star newspaper reported Tuesday. Azmi said that a proposal would be presented to the Cabinet soon, national news agency Bernama reported Monday, after Azmi's address to Parliament.

"We want this to be banned as the existing system is not satisfactory, except if the operators use the landfill method,'' Azmi said, according to Bernama. Landfills are usually lined with plastic, clay or other materials to prevent liquids from seeping out. Azmi also said the ministry was looking at toughening up the penalties for environmental pollution, including mandatory jail terms for those who illegally dispose of poisonous toxic waste, according to Bernama.

Earlier this month, residents in Kuala Lumpur complained of foul-smelling water from their taps. It was thought that waste from an open dump site, as well as overflow from nearby factories' sewage pond, had seeped into the Sungai Selangor river, Bernama said. The spillover was thought to have been triggered by an unusually intense downpour in central Malaysia two weeks ago. The heavy rains caused flooding that disrupted trains and cut off highways. Thousands were also evacuated.

There are 200 open dump sites in the country, Azmi was quoted by Bernama as saying, but the number of sites in the Kuala Lumpur area is not immediately known. Officials at the Environment Ministry were not immediately available for comment Tuesday.

The supply of clean water is an extremely sensitive topic in Malaysia, and has been used as an election issue in the past.
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