Gaya Interview
Bringing Selangor’s Waste Management Services to New Heights Tuan Haji Ramli Mohd Tahir, 126
Managing Director, KDEB Waste Management
Managing waste and maintaining cleanliness of public spaces, including landmarks and tourist attractions, are often overlooked and taken for granted. Those who are involved in such services are unsung heroes and deserve respect because they enhance society’s quality of life. As a tribute to such professionals, Gaya Travel Magazine catches up with the Managing Director of KDEB Waste Management, Tuan Haji Ramli Mohd Tahir, to understand more about waste management in Selangor and how his company keeps the state clean. Approachable, charismatic, far-sighted, and financially astute, Tuan Haji Ramli Mohd Tahir joined the Selangor state government-linked investment company Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Berhad (KDEB) back in 2006 as Corporate Planning Manager. He has been the chief of KDEB Waste Management Sdn Bhd (KDEBWM) since 2014. Under Tuan Haji Ramli’s leadership, KDEBWM makes its mark as the top-of-mind company when it comes to managing waste in Selangor. It is even voted by Frost & Sullivan as the best smart waste management company in Malaysia for three consecutive years: 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Managing waste for Selangor KDEB first involved in the waste management business since 2008 when it held 21% stake in Alam Flora Sdn Bhd, the concessionaire for waste collecting and public cleansing. “When we put out a proposal to acquire the stake in 2008, we had the long-term vision of involving directly in the collection and cleansing business for the whole of Selangor,” reveals Tuan Haji Ramli. KDEB was the second largest shareholder in Alam Flora until 2013 when it sold its stake to the conglomerate DRB-HICOM and decided to do waste collection and public cleansing on its own.
