THANK YOU: The annual dinner’s organising chairman Wong See Teck (left) hands over a token of appreciation to Tiong while others look on.
SIBU: The state’s first e-waste collection centre, costing about RM500,000, will be built in Deshon Road here to solve problems of indiscriminate dumping of electronic waste (e-waste).
Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King said the proposed two-storey structure would sit on a half-an-acre piece of land, and that the council fully supported this initiative by Computer Sales and Association Sarawak (CSSA) Sibu branch.
“The proposed centre will be built on an open space in Deshon Road. They (CSSA) have proposed for a two-storey structure,” Tiong told The Borneo Post after CSSA Sibu branch’s annual dinner here on Saturday.
Asked when the project was expected to start, he said the association had approached SMC on the matter, but it was still waiting for them to submit their (CSSA) plan.
“It is hoped that with the facility, Sibu people will find it easy to recycle their unwanted or obsolete computer accessories and other e-waste.”
Meanwhile, CSSA Sibu branch chairman Wong Ing Ang interjected by saying: “We are going to have a final round of discussion with all our members and work out how best the proposed centre can benefit the people of Sibu.
“Among others, we plan to incorporate an information centre and an incubator centre besides functioning primarily as an e-waste collection centre. The project is estimated to cost about half a million ringgit. More information will be available after the final round of discussion when all the inputs from members would be obtained.”
Earlier, speaking to some 300 people, Tiong said information and communication technologies (ICT) had been at the heart of economic change for decades.
He praised the association for being at the forefront in helping the local communities to fulfill their ICT needs.
Citing CSSA’s annual PC Fair, he said this helped disseminate the latest trend in the ICT world to the people.
HEALTH HAZARD: This file photo shows chunks of e-waste disposed by users during an e-waste recycling campaign. Indiscriminate dumping of electronic waste (e-waste) can cause irreversible health effects and environmental pollution.
The association has a great task ahead to complement the efforts of government, especially in bridging the digital divide among Sibu community.
“Perhaps, a community e-learning centre can be incorporated into the proposed e-waste collection centre to roll out programmes such as ICT awareness seminars or forums and ICT skills workshop for those who have limited access to ICT resources.”
Tiong, who is also Lanang MP, pledged a Minor Rural Project (MRP) fund of RM10,000 for the association to roll out e-waste recycling activities to benefit the people.
Wong, who was the organising chairman of ‘E-waste Recycling Campaign 2011’, disclosed that they collected RM6,405 from the campaign.
The amount was donated to Agape Centre during the gathering, with Tiong handing the proceeds to the centre’s representative’s Oliver Kuo.
At present, CSSA Sibu branch has 62 member firms.