Waste Management Pilot For Semporna Village Next January

By Norhidayyu Zainal

PETALING JAYA, Nov 18 (Bernama) -- A pilot community-based waste management project will be implemented in Kampung Sri Aman, Semporna, Sabah next January to address long-standing rubbish and plastic pollution issues that have affected the lives of local communities and the marine ecosystem.

The collaboration between Etika Sdn Bhd and Reef Check Malaysia (RCM), supported by the Malaysian Recycling Alliance (MAREA), aims to establish an organised and sustainable waste management model that can serve as a reference for other coastal villages.

RCM Programme Manager Adzmin Fatta said that residents of water villages are often blamed for rubbish problems, even though they do not actually have proper options to manage their waste.

pic-2

“People often assume villagers throw rubbish everywhere because they are undisciplined or uneducated. But if we ourselves lived there, we too would ask where the rubbish is supposed to go. Their only options are the beach or the sea.

“… for the residents, the sea functions like the ‘largest dustbin’ due to the absence of a proper waste management system,” he told Bernama after the launch of the Semporna Waste Management Programme recently.

He said efforts to develop a waste management system in water villages require high operating costs as well as close community cooperation to ensure the system is accepted and can be implemented consistently.

pic-3

According to him, many previous policies failed to gain support because they were carried out in a top-down manner without considering the reality of the residents’ lives.

“This system must be developed together with the community. If it comes from outside but the residents are not ready to implement it, it will not succeed,” he said.

He said based on an initial audit conducted in Kampung Sri Aman, each resident produces about 1.18 kilogrammes of waste per day, making the implementation of a waste management system an urgent need in the area.

He added that the first phase of the project targets the participation of 50 households, before expanding to 100 households over three years depending on the level of community compliance.

pic-4

He explained that the project aims to prevent at least 10 tonnes of waste, particularly plastics, from being dumped into the sea over the same period.

“Besides benefitting the environment, the programme also creates job opportunities for villagers who will be involved as waste collectors and coordinators.

“The recyclables collected will be sent to a collection centre, and the proceeds will be channelled back to strengthen community waste management initiatives,” he said.

pic-5

Etika Group of Companies Chief Executive Officer Santharuban Thurai Sundram said the initiative is an extension of its collaboration with RCM, following several coral reef conservation projects carried out over the past three years.

“This area is close to clear waters that are among Sabah’s main diving sites. Pollution is indeed severe, so as a private company, we believe we can play a role in helping the community manage waste properly,” he said, expressing hope for meaningful long-term impact.

pic-6

A representative of Kampung Sri Aman residents, Hassan Gabra Hajan, 60, said the community welcomes the implementation of the system to address the long-standing issue of rubbish being dumped into the sea.

“I suggest setting up a monitoring committee and organising monthly gotong-royong activities to ensure the cleanliness of the village is maintained,” said the former village head.

— BERNAMA