Dr Sim (left) and MBKS mayor Dato James Chan (right) strike a pose after listening to a briefing by 3P Technik Sanitation director Dr Jochen Scheerer on a mobile toilet sample.
KUCHING: Miri and Sibu will each have a centralised sewerage system soon just like the one now being implemented in Kuching.
Local Government Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian said the plan is included in a comprehensive system which includes building regional sewerage systems for smaller towns to ensure that wastewater is treated and properly disposed of.
“Sarawak is acutely aware of the importance of proper sanitation. We believe that modern sanitation will help protect the wellbeing of our people. We have invested heavily in sewerage infrastructure to make sure that every family has access to modern sanitation.
“To ensure that we will have adequate sewage treatment capacity in the long term, we are now constructing centralised sewerage systems for major towns in Sarawak with state-of-the-art sewage treatment facilities to reclaim ultra-pure water for reuse in the industry,” he said when opening the 15th World Toilet Summit and Expo 2016 at a leading hotel here yesterday.
Dr Sim, who was representing Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem at the ceremony, did not go into details of the cost of the systems. However, the one being implemented in Kuching through two packages has been reported to cost more than RM1 billion in total.
He explained that investing in ‘back-end’ systems is only part of the government’s total effort, as they also need to improve ‘front-end user facilities’ by adopting an end-to-end approach in looking at the state’s sanitation requirements.
“By front-user facilities, I am referring to toilet designs, sanitary ware, toilet code specifications, maintenance, water conservation measures, toilet technology and fittings, and so on. Based on our annual survey, public facilities that are well designed and maintained do help to bring about better user behaviour.
“We would like to encourage private developers to continue to put some thought into the design of toilets to help promote proper use and maintenance,” he said.
Commenting on the 15th World Toilet Summit, Dr Sim said the selection of Kuching as first-time host is timely as the state capital is the main entry point into Sarawak which is aspiring to be the most developed state in the country by 2030.
He hoped there will be a long list of proposals, solutions, and new ideas from those involved in the summit.
“As we move towards 2030, we must raise our standards. We don’t want Sarawak toilets to be known for wrong reasons such as being smelly,” he stressed.
He went on to say that on its part, the government has also been upgrading toilets in public buildings and places, as well as public toilets in all markets and hawker centres.
“We are incorporating unique design features, such as landscaping, ample natural lighting and ventilation in the open design concept. Toilets in schools, parks, community centres and other public buildings will also take on new looks, as new design concepts are applied during the upgrading efforts by the respective government agencies,” he said.
State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Morshidi Abdul Ghani and World Toilet Organisation founder Jack Sim who also presented their respective keynote addresses, as well as Assistant Minister of Public Health Datuk Dr Jerip Susil were present.
Themed ‘Happy Toilet, Healthy City’, this year’s summit is organised by Kuching South City Council (MBKS).
The opening gimmick saw the unveiling of a giant toilet replica.