KOTA KINABALU: Steps are being taken to increase the level of cleanliness in the City, including the beaches and the water villages there, says City Hall.
According to Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir, the state government spends RM500 million annually for the beach cleaning program in the city which is being carried out daily without fail.
Speaking at the recognition ceremony of Ararat Ararat Sports and Souvenirs Sdn Bhd as a ‘Litter Free Premises’ yesterday, Abidin disclosed that to maintain a high cleanliness level in the water villages, City Hall has taken several initiatives, such as a continuing ‘gotong royong’ effort, setting up of recycling centres and creating micro-enterprise committees.
“Members of the micro-enterprise committee are the villagers themselves and its function is to ensure that rubbish in the respective villages is collected and disposed of properly,” he said.
“However, I do admit that City Hall’s efforts may not be 100 per cent effective and this could be due to several factors, including the fact that there are too many water villages, including those at Pulau Gaya and Pulau Sepanggar.
“Residents in water villages have the bad habit of throwing their rubbish into the sea surrounding their houses and this is hampering City Hall’s cleanliness programs… we do not get the cooperation of the people living in these areas and this is making the situation difficult,” he said.
Abidin felt that the best solution to the problem would be to relocate the villages or carry out a comprehensive upgrading program on all the water villages in the state capital.
“I believe with the commitment and desire as well as cooperation from all quarters, Kota Kinabalu City will continue to remain as a tourist destination,” he said.