SANDAKAN – As the Aidilfitri festivities wind down in Sabah, authorities are confronted with hundreds of kilogrammes of rubbish left behind in recreational spots and public areas.
With the high number of visitors to Kota Kinabalu’s Segama Waterfront, city hall (DBKK) collected 200kg of trash despite the addition of more large-sized rubbish bins.
“The amount of rubbish scattered all over Segama Waterfront and Teluk Likas Public Park clearly shows the mentality of certain members of the public who still think that cleanliness is the responsibility of the local authority.
“These are tourist spots, and the lack of cleanliness has made tourists uncomfortable,” DBKK said in a Facebook post.
Most of the rubbish was left behind by visitors on the second and third days of Hari Raya.
DBKK also carried out Ops Payung at the two locations to enforce the Kota Kinabalu Municipal Council (Anti-litter) By-laws 1984 (Amendment 2005).
Meanwhile, it had become an annual scene during Hari Raya that rubbish would be scattered around the town here, especially at the Harbour Square, Harbour Mall Piazza.
Social media users have shared pictures of rubbish, plastic bags, and food containers left behind by visitors who ate in the area, especially at night.
Every year, the Sandakan Municipal Council (SMC) had to clear the rubbish the very next morning.
SMC president Henry Idol told Scoop that the council is aware of the problem and will issue a statement to address it soon. – April 13, 2024