KOTA KINABALU: Littering over the holiday period here has become a major problem for the city.
"There has been an increase during the holiday season especially at public parks such as the Segama Waterfront and Taman Awam Teluk Likas.
"However, the irresponsible actions of some members of the public who litter and leave their waste behind are highly disappointing and tarnishing the image of Kota Kinabalu.
"The scattered rubbish at both tourist attractions has polluted the environment and caused discomfort to visitors.
"It clearly indicates the mentality of some members of the public who still perceive cleanliness as solely the responsibility of local authorities or law enforcement," according to a statement by Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK).
The pictures and videos of those rubbish-strewn places were also shared by the public on social media.
In response to this issue, DBKK has immediately taken action and collected approximately 200 kilograms of rubbish and prepared additional waste bins at Segama waterfront.
Meanwhile, DBKK has also activated two Ops Payung at Segama Waterfront and Taman Awam Teluk Likas to fully enforce the Anti-Litter By-Laws 1984 (Amendment 2005), especially against members of the public who irresponsibly leave waste scattered in various places.
Ops Payung is an operation under DBKK's Enforcement Department tasked with controlling beggars and illegal hawkers. It is also an integrated effort with the police to ensure public order and traffic management.
From January to April 2024, a total of 64 compound notices under the Anti-Litter By-Laws 1984 (Amendment 2005) have been issued to individuals who litter indiscriminately at Taman Awam Teluk Likas and another 214 compound notices issued in the city area.
This week, five compound notices under the (Hawkers) By-laws, 1966 have been issued to illegal hawkers at Taman Awam Teluk Likas. DBKK also confiscated a hawker's goods.
