City Hall defers move to ban plastic straws: No more bin centres in Sinsuran
Published on: Wed, Aug 20, 2025
By: Sidney Skinner Text Size: Banners about the closure of the four bin-centres in Sinsuran have been put up on one side of these facilities. CITY Hall has deferred a move to ban the use of plastic and polystyrene straws within its rating area. Food operators around the State Capital had initially been told to stop handing out such straws to their customers from October 1 onwards and warned that, in extreme cases, they could wind up having their licences suspended if they failed to comply.
Advertisement A spokesman for the agency's Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) said it still intended to do away with plastic and polystyrene straws in the long term but, for the time being, the ban had been postponed. 'Mayor Dato' Seri Dr Sabin Samitah is still deliberating over when it would be best to begin putting City Hall's plan in action,' he said. 'A further announcement will be made once this decision has been finalised.' Senior officials with the agency, including its Director General of Operations Robert Lipon and SWMD Director Leong Tze Fui, met with 150-200 individuals in the food and related sectors in the first week of June to make them aware of the impending ban. The spokesman said personnel from local plastic manufacturing companies, as well as representatives from the Sabah branch of the Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (Sirim) and the Local Government and Housing Ministry were also present during the engagement session. 'By and large, the food operators and hawkers were supportive of our plan. But some asked if we could push back the October 1-start to a later date.' He said City Hall was not the first local authority to prohibit the use of plastic and polystyrene straws in the country. 'Several in Peninsula Malaysia have already made done this, as has the Sarikei District Council in our neighbour state, Sarawak.' The spokesman said plastic and polystyrene straws contained compounds which were harmful to the human body. 'On top of this they cannot be recycled. We want eatery and stall owners to switch to using paper straws or those made from organic material, like corn starch.' He explained that the move to 'zero-ise' the use of these straws was a natural evolution of City Hall's 'No Plastic Bags' policy which was launched last year. Meanwhile, the agency will be doing away with its bin-centres in the Sinsuran area, in a bid to get the public more accustomed to the workings of its 'sistem pelupusan sampah sendiri (SPSS, personal waste disposal system)'. The spokesman said there were four bin-centres servicing this part of the City. 'These structures are due to be demolished early next month,' he said. 'Our staff will be stationed at strategic locations around the shophouses to educate those living and working here on how to get rid of their rubbish under the SPSS.' He said City Hall's compactors parked a designated spot once in the morning and again at night, as part of the system. 'Those in the vicinity bring over the garbage from their respective premises, at these times, to throw in the back of the vehicle.' He said collection-sites had been demarcated on the surface of roads around Sinsuran to indicate where the compactors came to a halt. A majority of the occupants at the different blocks, which comprised the Sinsuran shophouses, were still confused about how the system operated. 'We closed the bin-centres at the beginning of August and strung up banners to inform the public here that they were not supposed to get rid of their rubbish at these buildings. 'Thirty eight SWMD staff worked on shifts between 6am-2am daily till August 10 to try and familiarise those in the area on how the SPSS works. Despite going to all this trouble, bags of waste are still being dumped in front of the bin-centres.' The spokesman warned that those caught red handed getting rid of their refuse in this manner risked being compounded up to RM500, under the agency's (Anti-Litter) By-Laws 1985 (Amendment 2005). The SPSS was nothing new in the City, according to him, with the system having been introduced in Kg Air six years ago and at the Anjung Senja foodcourt in 2022. The spokesman said the agency had noticed a marked improvement in the surroundings at both locations over the intervening period. 'There has been a significant drop in the number of rats running around Kg Air and Anjung Senja. Without the bags of kitchen waste piled up in these centres, or the bits of food strewn haphazardly around these structures, these rodents have essentially been deprived of a major food source.' He said the absence of the rotting refuse had also minimised the nuisance posed by leachate – the foul smelling liquid which drains from, or 'leaches' through, the piles of bagged rubbish. On top of this, he said, acts of vandalism involving the fixtures at the bin-centres in Kg Air and Anjung Senja had also decreased. The mischief-makers had previously taken to burning the communal bins or making away with their wheels, according to him. 'This motivated us to extend the SPSS to Sinsuran. We aim to do the same in Segama and along Jalan Gaya at some point next year,' he said. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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Daily Express
20 hours ago
- Daily Express
City Hall defers move to ban plastic straws: No more bin centres in Sinsuran
Published on: Wednesday, August 20, 2025 Published on: Wed, Aug 20, 2025 By: Sidney Skinner Text Size: Banners about the closure of the four bin-centres in Sinsuran have been put up on one side of these facilities. CITY Hall has deferred a move to ban the use of plastic and polystyrene straws within its rating area. Food operators around the State Capital had initially been told to stop handing out such straws to their customers from October 1 onwards and warned that, in extreme cases, they could wind up having their licences suspended if they failed to comply. Advertisement A spokesman for the agency's Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) said it still intended to do away with plastic and polystyrene straws in the long term but, for the time being, the ban had been postponed. 'Mayor Dato' Seri Dr Sabin Samitah is still deliberating over when it would be best to begin putting City Hall's plan in action,' he said. 'A further announcement will be made once this decision has been finalised.' Senior officials with the agency, including its Director General of Operations Robert Lipon and SWMD Director Leong Tze Fui, met with 150-200 individuals in the food and related sectors in the first week of June to make them aware of the impending ban. The spokesman said personnel from local plastic manufacturing companies, as well as representatives from the Sabah branch of the Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (Sirim) and the Local Government and Housing Ministry were also present during the engagement session. 'By and large, the food operators and hawkers were supportive of our plan. But some asked if we could push back the October 1-start to a later date.' He said City Hall was not the first local authority to prohibit the use of plastic and polystyrene straws in the country. 'Several in Peninsula Malaysia have already made done this, as has the Sarikei District Council in our neighbour state, Sarawak.' The spokesman said plastic and polystyrene straws contained compounds which were harmful to the human body. 'On top of this they cannot be recycled. We want eatery and stall owners to switch to using paper straws or those made from organic material, like corn starch.' He explained that the move to 'zero-ise' the use of these straws was a natural evolution of City Hall's 'No Plastic Bags' policy which was launched last year. Meanwhile, the agency will be doing away with its bin-centres in the Sinsuran area, in a bid to get the public more accustomed to the workings of its 'sistem pelupusan sampah sendiri (SPSS, personal waste disposal system)'. The spokesman said there were four bin-centres servicing this part of the City. 'These structures are due to be demolished early next month,' he said. 'Our staff will be stationed at strategic locations around the shophouses to educate those living and working here on how to get rid of their rubbish under the SPSS.' He said City Hall's compactors parked a designated spot once in the morning and again at night, as part of the system. 'Those in the vicinity bring over the garbage from their respective premises, at these times, to throw in the back of the vehicle.' He said collection-sites had been demarcated on the surface of roads around Sinsuran to indicate where the compactors came to a halt. A majority of the occupants at the different blocks, which comprised the Sinsuran shophouses, were still confused about how the system operated. 'We closed the bin-centres at the beginning of August and strung up banners to inform the public here that they were not supposed to get rid of their rubbish at these buildings. 'Thirty eight SWMD staff worked on shifts between 6am-2am daily till August 10 to try and familiarise those in the area on how the SPSS works. Despite going to all this trouble, bags of waste are still being dumped in front of the bin-centres.' The spokesman warned that those caught red handed getting rid of their refuse in this manner risked being compounded up to RM500, under the agency's (Anti-Litter) By-Laws 1985 (Amendment 2005). The SPSS was nothing new in the City, according to him, with the system having been introduced in Kg Air six years ago and at the Anjung Senja foodcourt in 2022. The spokesman said the agency had noticed a marked improvement in the surroundings at both locations over the intervening period. 'There has been a significant drop in the number of rats running around Kg Air and Anjung Senja. Without the bags of kitchen waste piled up in these centres, or the bits of food strewn haphazardly around these structures, these rodents have essentially been deprived of a major food source.' He said the absence of the rotting refuse had also minimised the nuisance posed by leachate – the foul smelling liquid which drains from, or 'leaches' through, the piles of bagged rubbish. On top of this, he said, acts of vandalism involving the fixtures at the bin-centres in Kg Air and Anjung Senja had also decreased. The mischief-makers had previously taken to burning the communal bins or making away with their wheels, according to him. 'This motivated us to extend the SPSS to Sinsuran. We aim to do the same in Segama and along Jalan Gaya at some point next year,' he said. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
New Straits Times
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City Hall halts Bukit Damansara condo project after debris injures resident
KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Lumpur City Hall, through its Department of Building Control, has issued a stop-work order on The Cedar condominium project in Bukit Damansara today, following an incident in which building materials fell from the construction site, damaging property and injuring a resident of a neighbouring home. In a statement, City Hall said the stop-work order will remain in effect until the contractor completes repairs to the affected house with the owner's consent. "The contractor must also bear the medical treatment costs of the injured victim and improve the safety platform at the boundary between The Cedar development and the neighbouring residence." The order was issued under Section 87 of the Streets, Drainage and Building Act 1974. According to a preliminary report, the incident occurred yesterday at around 5.55pm when several granite tiles measuring 600mm by 800mm, being lifted by a tower crane, struck a barrier on the third floor. "The impact caused several tiles to fall onto the safety platform and be flung towards a house located at Jalan Setiakasih 6, Bukit Damansara." It said the incident resulted in damage to the house's roof and caused injuries to its occupants. The contractor took immediate action by assisting in clearing debris and repairing the damage at the affected location, it said. The project involves constructing a seven-storey luxury apartment block with 70 residential units, a main lobby and resident facilities on the ground floor. The building plans were approved on April 28, 2021, with construction now 75 to 80 per cent complete, mainly involving architectural, mechanical and electrical works. City Hall stressed that public safety is its top priority and it would not compromise with any party failing to comply with regulations and safety procedures at construction sites until all remedial measures are fully implemented to the satisfaction of the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur. Earlier today, it was reported that a house in Bukit Damansara was severely damaged when construction debris from a nearby condominium project crashed through its roof. Recalling the incident, Shaik Azrul Shaik Daud, 52, said his sister was injured after debris struck the upstairs room. Also present in the house during the incident were his 89-year-old father, 79-year-old mother, his daughter and a maid.
New Straits Times
6 days ago
- New Straits Times
Debris from condominium project hits Bukit Damansara house, injuring occupants
KUALA LUMPUR: A house in Bukit Damansara was severely damaged yesterday when construction debris from a nearby condominium project crashed through its roof. The incident occurred at around 6pm. Shaik Azrul Shaik Daud, 52, said his sister was injured after debris struck the upstairs room. "When she heard a loud noise, she leapt from the bed. "The construction slab and rocks fell on the roof and crashed into the room. "If she had leapt a second later, she could have been seriously injured," he said when met at the house at Jalan Setiakasih 6. He said his sister sustained injuries to her nose and head. "Also at the house during the incident were his 89-year-old father, 79-year-old mother, his daughter and a maid. The impact damaged several parts of the home, including the porch awning, a ground-floor room and its toilet, as well as a room and the master bedroom's toilet on the first floor. "It also damaged the incoming water pipe outside the house," he said, with losses estimated at around RM200,000. Recalling the incident, Shaik Azrul said he was at his office in Damansara Perdana when he received a call from his daughter asking him to come home immediately. "I asked her what happened and she said some rocks had fallen on the house from the neighbouring construction site." He said that after checking further with his brother, they noticed a platform at the construction site jutting out from the building. "From the naked eye, we could see the platform was dented. "There was still some debris hanging on it, and there was a possibility it could fall again. "We believe the platform gave way, probably due to overloading of construction slabs or debris." He said representatives from Kuala Lumpur City Hall, the Construction Industry Development Board, and the Department of Occupational Safety and Health visited the house earlier today to assess the damage. "All three parties have issued a stop-work order immediately. "They have instructed the main contractor and the developer to provide a detailed report on it," he said. He said City Hall had instructed the developer and main contractor to assess the damage and carry out rectification works immediately. "We were informed that the stop-work order will not be lifted until the rectification works are completed. "We were also told that the City Hall is taking stern action against the developer and the main contractor, as the incident resulted in injuries to the house occupants." Shaik Azrul said a police report was lodged yesterday, and his sister went to a clinic for a check-up this morning. He said the family's pregnant pet cat, believed to have been near the site of impact, was found injured. "We saw the cat dragging itself across the floor as its back was injured," he said, adding the cat was later put to sleep due to the severity of its injuries. Asked if the family is considering legal action, Shaik Azrul said: "After discussing the matter, we believe this is a case of pure negligence on the part of the developer. "The developer has to be held responsible. "Therefore, we are exploring possible legal angles.
