Liew (middle) receiving a reusable bag from EPD Director Vitalis Moduying. Others in the picture are from left : Sabah Tourism Board CEO Julinus Jeffery Jimit, KePKAS Deputy Permanent Secretary II Alesia Sion, KePKAS Permanent Secretary Josie Lai Mei Sing, EPD Deputy Director Daisy Aloysius and Sabah Cultural Board General Manager Mackey Apison.
KOTA KINABALU: The Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry (KePKAS) will distribute 5,000 reusable bags to the public at Padang Merdeka here in conjunction with the Malaysia Day 2024 celebration today.
Its Minister Datuk Christina Liew said the exercise, to be carried out by its agency, Environment Protection Department (EPD), is part of the Ministry’s initiative to support the Government’s effort to reduce single-use plastics.
The EPD is one of the State Government’s agencies responsible for environmental preservation and conservation in Sabah, in line with the Sabah State Policy on the Environment.
“This campaign aims to encourage the public to reduce the usage of single-use plastic bags in Sabah, and to promote the use of reusable bags during shopping. It is one of the Government’s efforts to reduce environmental pollution caused by the use and disposal of single-use plastics.
“The first 5,000 visitors who turn up at Padang Merdeka for the celebration, which begins at 7 pm today, will each receive a reusable bag,” said Liew.
The Minister stressed that the State Government remains committed to intensifying the implementation of action plans outlined in the Sabah State Policy on the Environment through cooperation among various government agencies and relevant stakeholders, with a key focus on managing pollution from waste, which includes solid waste.
She said today’s campaign is a continuation of the environmental awareness programmes that the Ministry has implemented through the EPD, such as the Community Environmental Education Programme (CEEP) in local communities and the Program Sekolah Rakan Alam Sekitar (SERASI) in schools across Sabah.
Liew said similar campaigns have long been carried out in Sabah by various stakeholders, and the Ministry especially welcomes and congratulates the Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) on their initiative to stop the use of single-use plastics in selected premises around Kota Kinabalu which started from August 1, 2024.
The Ministry will continue to support and collaborate with local authorities throughout Sabah to ensure that more people, especially the public, adopt the use of reusable bags, she added.
