This article discusses the present status of municipal solid waste management
(MSWM) in Malaysia. The basic situation in large municipalities in Malaysia is one in
which available resources are not sufficient to provide adequate municipal services to
either the main stream of the population, or to those residing in the slum settlements.
Effective waste management is dependent upon achieving informed consensus amongst
interested parties. The problem for data collection and planning is the lack of locally
available trained personnel and the need for relevant data. Most universities and
educational institution fails to offer curriculum in waste management, and this neglect
results in a serious lack of trained human resources necessary for the planning and
implementation of waste management systems.