Batu Arang residents protest new waste-to-energy plant despite expert safety assurances

Batu Arang’s inhabitants are rallying against the Sultan Idris Shah (SIS) Green Energy Plant, a waste-to-energy facility slated to process up to 2,400 tonnes of municipal waste daily. Residents fear that garbage trucks could spill dirty water onto roads, that odours may deter hikers and cyclists along Sungai Garing and Sungai Batu Arang, and that heavy traffic will damage infrastructure and harm tourism. The project, developed by KDEB Waste Management with YTL Power International, has secured an environmental impact assessment and is defended by senior professor Agamuthu Pitchiah of Sunway University, who highlighted negative-pressure loading bays, catalytic converters and fibre filters that limit emissions.

Local voices—including Zulfaizi Rusli, Rusli Sharif and musician Hashiamaldin Bazin—remain unconvinced and intend to maintain their protests. Selangor’s Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari assured the plant will not rely on outdated incineration technology, emphasizing its modern design.