KUCHING: City dwellers have been urged to join an initiative by the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) and Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) to reduce the usage of harmful plastic and polystyrene wastes.
MBKS Mayor, Datuk Wee Hong Seng said the council’s rice straw initiative has so far successfully prevented 1.7 million plastic straws from entering the waterways and landfill, which is an astonishing achievement.
“But, we are now asking everyone to help us take this effort one step further. Our Kuching festival is banning the use of polluting polystyrene and single-use plastics for all its vendors.
“Our markets and hawker centres are following suit. Please do your part in joining this initiative.
“Bring your own bags, take away in your own tupperware, drink direct from the cup. Support our hardworking traders and hawkers as they raise their own standards. We are working to put our events and activities on a world-class footing and, with your help, we can achieve it,” he said.
He called for this effort in his speech in conjunction with the celebration of the 34th Kuching City Day 2022 at Kuching City South Council (MBKS) compound here today.
He then said the council’s efforts so far have already been recognised on a world stage.
“First we were awarded City of Unity status. Then we became a World Craft City, recognised by the World Craft Council. This year, Kuching was designated as Malaysia’s first creative city of gastronomy under UNESCO.
“Our small city has just been represented for the first time at the XIV UCCN Annual Conference in Santos, Brazil, the playground of Pele. We stood next to world capitals like Seoul and Jakarta and smaller cities from Texas to Manchester to Thailand, all striving for the same goals,” he said.
He said on public health, the council is now planning a research study to monitor the levels of carbon dioxide in the communal spaces, making sure the air is clean, safe and well-ventilated.
“On sustainability, we have been working with dedicated non-governmental organisatons (NGOs) across the city like Naked Wonders and Worming Up to bring our facilities up to modern standards. Our buy-back programme has been a popular method to promote recycling in the city,” he pointed out.
He said the enormous application, over one year in the making, involved many stakeholders in the city.
“The municipality took the lead, under the Ministry of Public Health, Housing and Local Government, but supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia,” he added.
