Chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said he was waiting for a report from the Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) and would raise the issue at the state executive council meeting on Wednesday.

“Notices have been served to the landfill operator when MBSP discovered that scheduled mandatory work was not done. We will see what action can be taken. The worst-case scenario is we terminate the concession of the company,” he said.

According to him, the landfill operator, Syarikat PLB Terang Sdn Bhd, started to manage the site five years ago and has a 21-year concession contract.

Chow clarified that a landfill contract cannot be short term because it involved detailed management and needed daily operation.

“Any decision in terms of action against the management should not be rushed and requires careful planning,” he said.

The landfill caught fire at about 5pm last Wednesday. A barrier built by the fire and rescue department and the voluntary fire brigade prevented the flames from spreading.

Meanwhile, Nibong Tebal fire station chief Noor Asfariza Mohamad Abdul Kadir said the team was now faced with a water shortage.

“We only managed to extinguish about 7% (of the fire) and we are facing a problem because there is no water source here.

“It’s not possible to use seawater as the ocean is far away while using water from ponds is risky as it contains chemicals,” she said.

She said her team was relying on water supplied by MBSP.

“Currently, the landfill area is only accessible to small water tankers and the temperature  is quite hot and there is a lot of smoke, so we must be vigilant for the safety of the crew who have been here for the past six days from 8am to 8pm.”

Some 6.5ha of the 16.2ha landfill areas are affected, with no casualties reported.