CIGARETTE butts discarded on the road by drivers waiting to fetch their children from school and sweets wrappings littered by both old and young alike at public parks are among the common eyesores in Sibu town.
IRRESPONSIBLE: Unwanted construction materials strewn at a section of a small road leading to Stadium Tun Zaid.
For first-time visitors, this is certainly not something they expect to see. In fact, a stroll along the Rajang Esplande will reveal the wanton disposal of used paper and plastic wrappings near benches despite refuse bins being only an arm’s length away.
Littering is putting the brakes on efforts to promote Sibu as a tourist destination to the outside world. The Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) has walked the extra mile, rolling out numerous programmes to create better public anti-littering awareness. But why is there still public apathy towards cleanliness with litterbugs continuing to wallow in their dirty habits?
Instead of using garbage bins, they brazenly throw rubbish in public places such as five footways, foothpaths, roads, traffic light junctions, open space, parks and even inside planter boxes or flower pots.
“Well, I believe this has become second nature for some people who believe there will always be someone to clean up later on.
“Their irresponsible behaviour is making life difficult for the road sweepers,” SMC deputy chairman Daniel Ngieng lamented.
“Why can’t they throw rubbish into the refuse bins provided,” he wondered.
Disappointment
Despite the many educational programmes, he is disappointed there are still those who cling stubbornly to their old habit. Asked whether littering would cause tourists to shun Sibu, Ngieng replied: “Put it this way – everyone wants to go to a place that is spick and span.”
As a remedy, he disclosed, the SMC would introduce a pilot project to motivate the public to take pride in the cleanliness and hygiene of the town. The campaign themed “I Love A Clean Sibu” is scheduled sometime this month (July).
“The object is to empower locals to take responsibility for the town’s cleanliness and hygiene. The over-arching message is Sibu belongs to everyone of us. So we must do our level best to keep it clean.”
Citing Japan, he said people there took pride in keeping their towns and cities clean.
“They don’t litter by throwing away cigarette butts in public places. The use the refuse bins provided.”
To gauge the effectiveness of the pilot project, Ngieng said they would focus on one area initially.
“The campaign will start at Channel Road, an important street serving Sibu Central Market, and the ajacent shophouses. It’s not only a thoroughfare but also a street where many tourists use to visit the market.”
Public education
He said the council would educate the public on cleanliness by using a carrot-and-stick approach.
“We will impose fines if the message falls on deaf ears,” he said, adding that enforcement officers would keep tabs on litterbugs and ask them cease their unhealthy practice.
To start the ball rolling, Ngieng said the council would enlist the help of various NGOs, inlcuding hawkers’ associations and the Sibu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
He stressed the councillors and SMC staff would go to the ground to educate the people. Apart from distributing leaflets and giving pep talks, banners and fishtails would be put up along Channel Road as a reminder to the public, he added.
To back up the campaign, Ngieng said the council would ensure there are enough litter bins along that stretch of road so that the lack of trash cans will not continue to be used as an excuse for littering.
While it has come up with a way to tackle littering, the SMC is still grappling with an even bigger problem – illegal dumping.
“Illegal dumping mainly involves indiscriminate disposal of industrial or construction wastes,” he revealed.
He admitted there were several areas in town notorious for such activity, not discounting the possibility there were other areas yet to be brought to the council’s attention.
Eyesore
thesundaypost noted that construction materials were strewn at a section of a small road leading to Stadium Tun Zaid. Elsewhere, especially towards the end of Cheku Road, illegal dumping was also seen. Empty mineral water bottles, tins, egg trays and the like were dumped at the roadside near the residential area. Several stray dogs were seen scavenging for food there.
“Besides posing a health hazard, illegal dumping is an eyesore,” Ngieng stressed.
He believed such activity could have been carried out at night.
“It could be the workers or their bosses who dumped the waste there. But whoever it is, this is wrong and very irresponsible,” he said, reiterating everyone has a responsibility in keeping the town clean and green.
However, Ngieng was quick to point out that with the waiving of charges at the Seng Ling landfill, the frequency of illegal dumping has dropped.
“This landfill caters only for non-organic or bulk waste, including those from construction sites. We don’t allow kitchen waste as it can rot and smell. This will attract harmful pests such as flies, rats and other scavengers,” he said.
The main landfill is at Kemuyang.
“More people are making use of this site to dump their refuse in bulk these days,” he noted, recalling previously, RM3 and RM5 was charged per entry.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Central Region Hotel Association chairman Johnny Wong Sie Lee stressed it was most important to keep the town clean to avoid giving tourists the wrong impressions of Sibu.
Echoing Ngieng’s view, he said the public also had a role in maintaining cleanliness and should not push everything to the authorities.
“For a start, adults must not litter to set a good example to the young,” Wong added.
He said besides places of interest, cleanliness was also something tourists looked for.
“Would you visit or stay in a town if it were dirty?” he asked.
He also suggested tall trees be trimmed to beautify the town.
“Apart from roads, footpaths and five-foot-ways, drains and culverts must also be kept clean.
“The SMC has done a lot to green the town and the public ought to complement this effort by helping to make Sibu a better place to work and live in.
“When the Sibu town is clean and hygienic, tourists will be singing praises about it to their friends and families when they return home. This will entice other tourists to visit,” he said.