The recent change in menteri besar for Terengganu has put a damper on plans to relocate the rubbish dump site that is causing a stench in the air in Kertih.

The foul air is so bad and gets worse when the sea breeze blows inland, spreading over a wider area passing from the landfill that is located about 500 metres from the beach.

The landfill, according to Kampung Tengah head and chairperson of the Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) Husin @ Hasyin Muda, was supposed to be relocated more than 10 years ago.

"Many attempts and appeals to the state government and the Kemaman local authority have not resulted in the dump site being relocated. Previous menteri besar, including the Ahmad Said, have assured the villagers that the Kertih landfill would be closed.

"At one time, it was planned to be relocated to Bukit Jambalang, outside of Kertih. We are hoping and praying that the new menteri besar will find a new permanent site for the landfill, which is located near the Petronas refinery and chemical processing hub," Husin ( right ) said.

Kemaman Municipal Council manager for Kertih Mohd Noor Ali said a new site for the landfill is being prepared in Bukit Jembalang, which is about 10km from Kertih.

"We are in the process of appointing a new management to takeover the landfill. The Enviornmental Impact Assessment report is also being prepared for the new site."

It is unfortunate, Husin said, that about 500 primary school pupils attending SRK Kampung Gelugor are constantly breathing the foul air from the site that is just about 100 metres from the school.

Not only the pupils, but about 10,000 people in five villages surrounding the landfill and an EcoCare Conservation Centre operated by the Malaysian Nature Society are deprived of fresh air.

Occasional fires and explosions at dumpsite

The dumping of domestic and industrial waste at the site a few years ago was halted following protests from the villagers in the area, but this was resumed a few months later.

Residents interviewed in the area complained of occasional fires and explosions from the gases trapped in the rubbish dump.

The school's PTA has also appealed to the authorities and nothing has been done since.

Their complaints ranged from damage to their green environment and the waste water leeching from the landfill to the adjacent Kertih River, which has resulted in the decline of the firefly population, which breeds in clean water.

In addition, the mangrove swamp is also suffering from the pollutants leeching from the dump site, which is now about 20 metres in height.

Kampung Tengah's JKKK committee member Tan Jeng Tsz said that at one time the United Nations had approved funding for the improvement of landfills and it is sad Kertih was not considered.

"In another attempt to reduce the pollution, the Kemaman municipality did some earth filling by extracting and transferring soil from a nearby hill to cover over the landfill. But, this stopped after a while."

Husin said the local authority had several times assured the residents that the landfill would be relocated. It has been many years since, and nothing has been done.

“We heard from the local authority that it was looking for several options, even burning the rubbish and converting the heat generated into alternative energy, besides building an incinerator there.

"Several officials also went overseas to study various systems involving the use of different technologies for the disposal of waste," Husin added. But nothing has come out of this, so far.”