JERAM, Selangor – The first thing that hits you, like a physical wave, is the odour – an acrid, pungent stench that stings the eyes and throat. The noxious fumes rise from mounds of decomposing organic waste, a putrid cocktail brewing under the tropical heat.

Here in Jeram, one of Malaysia’s largest landfill zones located 50km west of Kuala Lumpur, rubbish is left exposed to the elements for days, drawing swarms of flies and pests.

Yet, the open-air pits of the Jeram landfill in Selangor are now bound for a higher purpose: the incinerator next door, where trash is transformed into electricity.

While meant to provide an alternative energy source even as existing landfills fill up fast, the waste-to-energy (WTE) push has also ignited anxieties among residents and green groups over potential pollution and health risks.

“The WTE plant prolongs the Jeram landfill lifespan, as rubbish can go to the incinerator and not pile up in the waste site,” Selangor legislative watchdog head R. Rajiv told the media during a site tour on May 25.

On May 13, Malaysia’s largest WTE incinerator in Jeram, operated by state-owned Worldwide Sdn Bhd, began operations: Jeram Plant 1 was completed recently, and Jeram Plant 2 is expected to be operational by November.

Once fully operational, the combined facility, built at a cost of RM1.2 billion (S$385 million), will be capable of incinerating 3,000 tonnes of solid domestic waste daily to generate 50MW of electricity – enough to power at least 11,000 homes.

The less-hazardous bottom ash left behind will be recycled for use in construction and road-paving materials, while the toxic fly ash caught by the filters must be treated with cement before safe disposal at a secure area of the adjacent landfill.

As it stands, there have been no complaints about smells from the community, since the nearest residential area, Taman Permai, is located approximately 4 km away from the Jeram landfill.

Selangor, the country’s most populous st...