I believe it’s time we Kuchingites “grow up” – if we want to embrace city life, we need to be collectively responsible for its well-being too.
The nationwide smoking ban was supposed to come into effect on January 1, 2019.
However, Sarawak has put off implementing the ban until it adopts the policy under its own Local Government Ordinance.
State Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian was reported as saying that the state Health Department would hold a meeting with stakeholders on Jan 9 to discuss the ban.
I would like to believe that the ban on smoking in public places goes beyond health reasons – obviously it was not decided yesterday but years back.
And we are still unprepared for it?
Are we correctly flexing our “autonomy muscles” – despite having the right, are we doing it right, on smoking in public places?
While I do not wish to be dragged into a protracted debate over the merits and demerits of the smoking ban, it cannot be denied that indiscriminate throwing of cigarette butts is a contributory factor to littering in the country, Kuching being no exception.
It doesn’t really whet one’s appetite to walk into an eatery littered with cigarette butts and ashes on the floor – despite anti-littering notices being prominently displayed.
Perhaps we should consider the greater good and see things from a different and more positive perspective.
Why don’t we take this as an opportunity to enable us to help keep our city clean?
This is just one of the many things we can do over what we cannot do, and below are some of the other things we can obviously do better in public places – the list being non-exhaustive.
How about learning to put chairs back into their proper places before leaving?
How about refraining from throwing tissue paper or litter on the floor?
Doesn’t it help to exercise a bit by throwing rubbish in its proper and rightful place – the dustbin?
As mentioned earlier, cigarette butts, ashes and empty packets are considered as litter too.
Does it do any harm not to mess up the table with leftover food and cutlery strewn all over the table, like a disorganized prisoner of war camp?
Doesn’t it sound more civilised to raise a hand or politely call a waiter instead of whistling or “shoo shooing” him/her like an animal?
Do we feel privileged or have “special rights” to hog and block traffic by indiscriminately parking our vehicles just to be near the eateries and inconveniencing others?
Do we feel proud or good by making the cleaners work harder and longer by our indiscriminate littering (after all, we pay their salaries?) or do we choose to make theirs and our own day better by taking ownership of our own “rubbish”?
These, my fellow Kuchingites, (and fellow Sarawakians too) are just some of the “little things which can make a big difference” in asking what we can do for Kuching, instead of what Kuching can do for us.
We shouldn’t wait for legislative bans to agitate and compel us to “buckle up” or face the consequences.
Nobody likes to be told what to do, myself included.
Why don’t we do it out of love for ourselves, our family, friends and neighborhood, and of course, our beloved city?
We are proud to live in Kuching.
We should be even prouder when Kuching is cleaner, healthier and greener…all because We Care.
Together, we can make a difference. A positive difference, definitely. If we choose to.
Let’s do it together, willingly and voluntarily – for the better.
That’s you and me – ‘we’.
