Trash may kill off Sabah tourism

Vila Geraldine New Straits Times 21 Apr 12;

RAISING THE STINK: Bulk of complaints was rubbish in the sea and streets, says minister

PENAMPANG: GARBAGE is Sabah's number one threat that will drive away tourists if it is not addressed, said Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun.

Over the years, the bulk of tourist complaints received by the ministry was the heaps of rubbish in the sea and on the streets.

He said Sabah was blessed with beautiful nature, but if it was lost to trash, it would mar the state's image.

"Tourists will not come to Sabah (if this problem is not overcome) and we will have no tourism and no job opportunities for the locals.

"There have been some progress in the cleanliness of the city, but overall, it is still not satisfactory," he said at the Lestari Expo at SMK Datuk Peter Mojuntin here yesterday.

Lestari Expo is an environmental day organised by the school to raise awareness among students in sustaining the environment towards a better world.

Masidi said his ministry, through the Department of Environmental Protection, had done research on three rivers in Inanam and the results were alarming.

Following that, the ministry will set up a task force to conduct thorough studies and investigations.

"The task force, comprising relevant stakeholders, is aimed at finding ways to recommend measures to resolve the problems."

In praising the school for its efforts to keep the school and the district clean, Masidi suggested the state government allocate RM10,000 for it to carry out more environment-related work.

The school made it into the Malaysia Book of Records after producing 110,751 effective micro-organisms mud balls to be thrown into drains and rivers here.

In 2005 and 2006, the school beat others and won the "Program Sekolah Lestari-Alam Sekitar" award.

"It is time the government recognised their efforts and help them so that the school will continue to perform better, not only academically, but in sports and the environment, too."