KOTA KINABALU: Rubbish from the three main rivers in Kota Kinabalu city is the main cause of pollution, said Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun.
“Popular belief amongst the locals is that the rubbish on the waters and coastal lines of KK city come from nearby islands and this is not true. The trash flows from three rivers we have around KK city,” he said.
Masidi, who was representing Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Aman at the Astro Kasih Beautiful Malaysia’s clean-up of Teluk Likas here yesterday, said that according to City Hall, 70 per cent of trash in KK come from moving vehicles.
“This is our fault, and it is a fact that we have to accept,” he added while urging the people to keep the city clean.
Over 2,500 people from all walks of life participated in the clean-up program, and more than 700kg of debris were collected in three hours’ time.
Volunteers collected debris from the beach as well as participated in numerous fun activities organized by Astro which included a sustainable food cooking competition, a MasterChef Selebriti Malaysia cooking demo, beach games and sports, family telematches, sand art and skim boarding.
“We are pleased to collaborate with the Sabah State Government and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Environment to generate awareness among the public on the importance of conserving the beauty of the marine parks in Sabah,” said Astro Chief Executive Officer Datuk Rohana Rozhan.
“Under our Beautiful Malaysia CSR Programme, our staff volunteers have participated in coral planting and reef adoption in Pulau Mabul and Tun Sakaran Marine Park in Semporna and our longest underwater clean-up of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, where both projects have been recognized with several local and international awards,” she added.
Rohana also said that she chose Sabah for the location of Beautiful Malaysia program every year because the state is very close to her heart and she has lived in Sabah for ten years before.
“Sabah has the potential not only be the most beautiful place in Malaysia, but in the world. I hope to reveal Sabah’s potential,” she said during a press conference held at the program here.
She also said that she encouraged children to be part of the program so that they will have the awareness that everyone has the responsibility to conserve the environment and the responsibility will be passed on to them as they are the future generation of Sabah.
Meanwhile, in his speech read by Masidi, Musa said that the State Government will continue to support initiatives and efforts aimed at conserving the environment of Sabah.
Entertainment continued throughout the day into the night with a concert, bringing on stage an exciting line-up of Astro’s top talents from Akademi Fantasia, Astro Star Quest and Maharaja Lawak.
The event was held in partnership with the Sabah State Government, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment, KK City Hall, ERA fm, MY fm, and hitz.fm.
Also present during the event were Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Jainab Ahmad Ayid and City Hall Deputy Director General Bahari Hassan.