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Daily Express
a day ago
- General
- 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
Daily Express
01-08-2025
- General
- Daily Express
Kota Kinabalu Community Hall to be restored, not demolished
Published on: Friday, August 01, 2025 Published on: Fri, Aug 01, 2025 By: Larry Ralon Text Size: KOTA KINABALU: The fire-damaged Kota Kinabalu Community Hall (DBKK) will be restored in its original form rather than demolished, due to its historical value, said Mayor Datuk Seri Dr Sabin Samitah. Over 50pc of the building was damaged in the 29 July blaze, believed to be caused by an electrical short circuit. The roof collapsed and flammable wooden interior fittings were mostly destroyed, but the concrete structure remains intact, making restoration possible. Dr Sabin, who visited the site with officials from DBKK, the Fire Department, police, and insurers, said proposals including preserving the hall's structure and upgrading its surroundings will be submitted to the State Cabinet after the full investigation report. The hall, a city landmark for over 60 years, had no occupants during the fire, and no injuries were reported. The fire was brought under control in about three hours. * Read full report in tomorrow's print paper or log in or sign up for e-paper and premium online news access. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Star
26-06-2025
- Health
- The Star
Oh, rats! DBKK offering RM2 bounty on rodents until July 31
CATCH a rat and you will get RM2 from Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK). Mayor Datuk Seri Dr Sabin Samitah said this is part of DBKK's rat extermination campaign, which will end on July 31. The campaign is part of a nationwide initiative involving 10 local authorities organised by the Housing and Local Government Ministry. It aims to eliminate rat infestations in the identified areas, particularly public markets, and also to highlight health risks posed by rats. Sabin said that in 2023, a total of 1,299 rats were exterminated in the city, while 775 were culled between January and June last year. This year to date, 528 rats have been caught, he said at the campaign's launch on Wednesday (June 25). Sabin said 187 rats have been caught at the Kota Kinabalu Central Market alone so far this year, up from 111 in the first half of last year. "This campaign aligns with DBKK's vision of turning Kota Kinabalu into a liveable, safe, clean and healthy living space for all,' he added. Other activities during the campaign include communal clean-ups at the Central Market and the implementation of various rat control measures. Sabin urged traders to register as Smart City Friends at a designated counter to strengthen cooperation between DBKK and the business community in keeping the Central Market and the city clean. He also warned of health risks posed by rats, particularly leptospirosis, a disease that can be transmitted to humans through water contaminated with rat urine. He urged all citizens to cooperate with DBKK on the campaign and urged the public to dispose of waste properly, keep stall areas clean and report signs of rodent activity. Those wishing to collect the bounty may bring the rodents, dead or alive, to DBKK's office.
Daily Express
25-06-2025
- Daily Express
DBKK inspects Lintasan Deasoka after student protest
Published on: Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Published on: Wed, Jun 25, 2025 By: Sisca Humphrey Text Size: Kota Kinabalu: City Hall (DBKK) is assessing possible damage to Lintasan Deasoka following a protest by university students over the weekend. The protest, organised by Suara Mahasiswa UMS, involved the burning of posters, which DBKK believes may have included the use of petrol. Mayor Datuk Seri Sabin Samitah said the substance used could have left marks or caused damage to the surface. Although the organisers reportedly cleaned up after the event, DBKK is verifying if the area has been fully restored. A technical team is conducting checks, and Sabin said DBKK will take legal action if any public property was damaged. * 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
Daily Express
25-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
DBKK offers RM2 per rat in year-long control campaign
Published on: Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Published on: Wed, Jun 25, 2025 By: Sisca Humphrey Text Size: For illustrative purposes only. - Getty Images/iStockphoto Kota Kinabalu: City Hall (DBKK) will pay RM2 for each rat handed in as part of a year-long rodent control campaign launched at the Central Market on Wednesday. Mayor Datuk Seri Sabin Samitah said the effort, which runs until 31 July next year, is part of a national programme involving 10 local councils and aims to curb rat infestations and diseases like leptospirosis. He said rats not only pose health risks but also harm the city's image, especially in public hotspots such as the Central, fruit and handicraft markets. To support the campaign, a joint clean-up was held with traders, DBKK officers, health staff, and fire personnel, while RM2 incentives for each rat will be offered from 1 July at the DBKK Central Market station. Sabin added that DBKK caught 528 rats citywide from January to June this year, with 187 captured at the Central Market alone, up from 111 in the same period last year. * 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
