Latest news with #SWMD
Daily Express
10-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
Initiative to reduce straw usage at outlets
Published on: Tuesday, June 10, 2025 Published on: Tue, Jun 10, 2025 By: Sidney Skinner Text Size: This coffeeshop patron in Inanam was compounded for haphazardly disposing of his rubbish. KOTA Kinabalu food operators, including hawkers, risk having their licences suspended if they are found to be providing plastic and polystyrene straws with their beverages after the next four months. A spokesman for the agency's Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) said such action would be enacted in the worst-case-scenario. Advertisement 'City Hall licence-holders will initially be served with notices of non-compliance,' he said. 'Should they continue to disregard our formal request to refrain from handing out plastic and polystyrene straws to their customers, then we will have no choice but to suspend their licence.' 'Plastic and polystyrene straws cannot be recycled. On top of this, they contain compounds which are harmful to the human body. 'We want eatery and stall owners to switch to using paper straws or those made from organic material, like corn starch.' He said City Hall intended to do away with the use of plastic and polystyrene straws within its rating area from October 1 onwards. The spokesman said senior City Hall officials, including its Director General of Operations Robert Lipon and SWMD Director Leong Tze Fui, met with 150-200 individuals in the food and related sectors on Friday to make them aware of the agency's intention. He said personnel from local plastic manufacturing companies, as well as representatives from the Sabah branch of the Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM) and the Local Government and Housing Ministry were also present during the engagement session. 'By and large, the food operators and hawkers were supportive of our plan. But some asked if we could push back the October 1-start to a later date. 'We have given all those concerned between now and September 30 to fulfil our requirements. Four months should be more than enough time for them to deplete their existing stock of plastic and polystyrene straws.' He explained that the move to 'zero-ise' the use of these straws was a natural evolution of City Hall's 'No Plastic Bags' policy which was launched last year. 'We are not the first local authority in the country to prohibit the use of plastic and polystyrene straws in the country. Several in Peninsula Malaysia have already made done this, as has the Sarikei District Council in our neighbour State, Sarawak.' Meanwhile, litterbugs around the State Capital could find themselves RM10,000 poorer, if they persist in disposing of their rubbish, including cigarette butts, indiscriminately. The spokesman said this was the maximum fine which could be imposed under City Hall's (Anti-Litter) By-Laws 1985 (Amendment 2005), if the offenders were found guilty in court. He said legal action was initiated by the agency in extreme cases. 'A total of 81 wrongdoers received Anti-Litter compounds from SWMD inspectors during 29 'Ops Bersih' inspections carried out last month,' he said. These checks involved properties within the City Centre, as well as those in areas ranging from Likas to Manggatal, according to him. 'A compound of up to RM500 can be imposed for anyone caught contravening the By-Laws.' He said those in Kota Kinabalu, included the shophouses in Bandaran Berjaya, Kg Air, Sinsuran and Segama, as well as Centre Point Sabah. Checks were also made of the public areas on Jalan Gaya and Jalan Tugu, according to him. 'The highest number of litterbugs was nabbed around Kg Air (13), followed by Center Point (10) and Segama (9). When it came to areas outside the City limits, the spokesman said the SWMD team went to Inanam and Manggatal towns, as well as several commercial centres including Damai Plaza, Plaza Juta, Kingfisher Plaza, Inanam Taipan, Manggatal Plaza and Sulaman Sentral. On top of this, inspections were also carried out at Mini Putrajaya and the shops at Universiti Apartment, according to him. 'Inanam town and Taipan tied for the locations with the most offenders, in this instance, with a total of six litter-bugs caught in these areas. 'This was followed by the Kingfisher Plaza where four errant individuals were nabbed. Three each were taken to task around Sulaman Sentral and Damai Plaza.' * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
06-05-2025
- General
- Daily Express
City Hall keeping eyes on litterbugs at Centre Point
Published on: Tuesday, May 06, 2025 Published on: Tue, May 06, 2025 By: Sidney Skinner Text Size: SWMD staff and representatives from the MC for the shopping centre inspect the walkway along Lorong Centre Point. CITY Hall officers will be keeping their eyes peeled for litterbugs at Lorong Centre Point over the coming Wesak Day and Harvest Festival public holidays. This action follows a video posted on social media about the rubbish, including empty bottles and takeaway drinks, left behind around the brick planter boxes and on the covered walkway beside Centre Point Shopping Centre during the TYT's birthday-Hari Raya holiday long weekend last month. A spokesman for the agency's Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) said anyone caught disposing of their refuse indiscriminately risked being served with a compound for as much as RM500 under its Anti-Litter By-Laws 1984 (Amendment 2005). 'We are aware that some members of the public have the habit of gathering beneath the shelter to get some respite from the sun or rain,' he said. 'However, they should dispose of their garbage responsibly in bins placed near the planters and not leave the common area in a mess. If they fail to be more civic minded, when it comes to getting rid of their rubbish, and are witnessed littering, then we will not hesitate to take them to task.' He said City Hall had twice been contacted about the video, once at the beginning of April and then again last week. SWMD officers met with to staff of the management company (MC) for the shopping centre about what had transpired, shortly after the second report was lodged. A joint inspection was carried out of the covered walkway later that same day, according to him. 'We were made to understand that the video was taken early in the morning on the second day of the Hari Raya public holidays, before the cleaners for the shopping centre had reported to work.' He said the firm had engaged more than five workers to keep the common area around the building in order. 'The MC has agreed to get this team to step up its efforts to empty the bins and sweep up the refuse beneath the shelter on festive occasions. 'Our officers were told that, during public holidays, the cleaners would be asked to come in at least an hour before the shopping centre opened to clean up the walkway.' In the meantime, he said SWMD officers would monitor the goings-on around the building to try and catch any members of the public who disposed of their rubbish indiscriminately. He said those who repeatedly disregarded the agency's calls to refrain from littering in the common areas could wind up having legal action taken against them. 'They will become liable to a fine for as much as RM 10,000, if they are found guilty in court.' The spokesman said the agency collected a total of RM2,660 in the on-the-spot compounds from 133 litterbugs as part of its 'Ops Bersih' over the past two months. About RM1,540 was accrued in March and a further RM1,120 in April. He said the wrong-doers were spotted disposing of their rubbish, including cigarette butts, indiscriminately. 'A total of 142 smokers were caught between March and April. About 133 of them settled their compounds right away, while nine others elected to do this within the allotted grace-period.' Between four to five SWMD inspectors in plain clothes carried out 52 separate inspections between March 3 and April 28. These checks involved properties within the City Centre, as well as those in areas ranging from Telipok to Lido, according to him. He said those in Kota Kinabalu, included the shophouses in Kg Air, Sinsuran and Segama, as well as along Jalan Gaya, Jalan Tugu and Jalan Haji Yakub. 'The highest number of litterbugs was nabbed around Kg Air (38), followed by Sinsuran (19) and Segama (17).' When it came to areas outside the City limits, the spokesman said the SWMD team went to Damai Plaza, Foh Sang, the Bornion shophouses, Kingfisher Plaza, the Alam Mesra commercial centre, EG Mall, Manggatal Plaza, the Salut and the Commercial Centre. Checks were also made in the Tanjung Aru, Lido, Manggatal and Telipok townships. 'Tanjung Aru was the location with the most offenders, in this instance, with 14 litter-bugs caught in this area. 'This was followed by the Kingfisher Plaza, where 12 errant individuals were nabbed. Seven were taken to task around Manggatal Plaza, with five penalised at Damai Plaza.' The spokesman said City Hall had been coming down hard on littering violations in a bid to get the public to take a more active role in keeping the State Capital clean. 'It is not just up to our garbage collectors and street-sweepers to keep the commercial properties around our rating-area looking presentable and pleasing to the eye, especially to the many first time visitors from abroad. 'It is the collective responsibility of everyone who lives, works and frequents these locales.' * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
23-04-2025
- General
- Daily Express
City Hall monitoring illegal garbage dumps in Inanam
Published on: Wednesday, April 23, 2025 Published on: Wed, Apr 23, 2025 By: Sidney Skinner Text Size: SWMD staff clearing the piles of renovation and bulky waste which looked as if they had been hidden under these cut branches. CITY Hall, on the other hand, is keeping an eye out for litter-bugs in one part of Inanam to prevent illegal garbage dumps from springing up around the Kingfisher area. These include private contractors, tasked with pruning the trees, who failed to clear the cut branches and left these trimmings on the road side. A spokesman for the agency's Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) said the wrongdoers could find themselves RM10,000 poorer, for the indiscriminate disposal of their refuse. He said this was the maximum fine which could be imposed under its Anti-Litter By-Laws 1984 (Amendment 2005), if they were found guilty in court. 'The pockets of garden waste left behind by the contractors may cause illegal dumps to spring up,' he said. 'This is likely to happen if others living in these places begin adding their own rubbish to these piles.' He said the agency wanted to avoid such potential problems which is why it was cracking down on the errant parties who failed to responsibly dispose of the waste generated by any trees and grass they cut, including private contractors. 'Anyone caught red handed will initially be slapped with a compound for as much as RM500. 'Repeat offenders, and those who are heard headed, run the risk being penalised legally.' This action was prompted by feedback from a rate-payer about the piles of bulky and garden waste strewn at different sections of the reserve along the road to Kingfisher Cove Garden. He provided Hotline with the pertinent details regarding these irregularities, which were forwarded to City Hall and Sabah Electricity (SE). The SWMD spokesman said its staff inspected the road, shortly after being contacted by the media. They confirmed the presence of discarded items – including renovation waste, as well as an unwanted television set and sofa – on the road shoulder, during an inspection of the area, according to him. 'Some banana fronds and tree branches had been heaped onto some of this rubbish, as if the wrong doers had tried to conceal this mess under the greenery,' he said. He said a team of six workers from the Department cleared the refuse later that same day. An excavator and two-tonne open truck was deployed to facilitate their effort according to him. Where the piles of dried branches at another part of the same stretch were concerned, a spokeswoman for City Hall's Landscaping Department said the trees nearby had not been pruned by the agency. 'From the way branches had been cut, it looked as if a 'parang' (machete) had been used to accomplish this task,' she said. 'Our workers usually do this with a hand-held chainsaw.' She said the authority's Tree Unit most recently dealt with a problem involving the greenery on the stretch last Friday. 'We had received a report, in that instance, about some branches which had fallen onto the concrete five-foot-way here. 'One of our six-tonne lorries and a sky-lift, with an articulated arm, were deployed to assist the eight-man team to remove the obstructions. They cut down the branches into more manageable pieces.' A SE spokesman said a check of the company's records showed that the transmission lines on the road were cleared of foreign objects – including any creepers or branches which had extended into the air space of these cables – at the end of last month. The contractor, tasked with carrying out this work, went back to the housing area with four of his workers to remove this debris, according to him. 'When asked why it had taken weeks for him to deal with the trimmings, he told us that this was due to transportation problems,' the spokesman said. 'There were insufficient vehicles for him to use and he encountered some difficulty in renting the conveyance needed to remove the trimmings.' He said the contractor had been instructed not to wait so long in future. 'He should gather up all the waste on the same day that he tends to the creepers and overgrown branches.' * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
