KUCHING: Signboards will be put up at 17 bus stops by the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) to enhance public awareness on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The SDG bus station signboard initiative is to transform an existing bus stop by establishing a prominent signboard that emphasises the 17 SDGs,” said MBKS Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng.
According to him, the concept mixes education and visual aesthetics by changing an ordinary bus stop into an instructive environment that would stimulate community engagement with the global sustainable development agenda.
“Because there are 17 SDGs, we are erecting signboards at 17 bus stops. Right now, we have completed three bus stops, which means there are 14 bus stops to go. We’re hoping to finish them this year.
“The primary bus stop is located opposite ‘The Frame of MBKS’ (SDG Goal 1- No Poverty). So far, we have one, four (SDG 4 – Quality Education), and eight (SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth),” Wee added.
In response to a question about the remaining SDG bus stops, he said that two more are located near the Premier 101 Food Centre and the Spring shopping mall, as well as Jalan Padungan.
“With regard to the overall SDG awareness campaign, there is a need to explain why we are so serious about it.
“The obvious response is that the SDGs want to transform our world. So there are calls for action to reduce poverty and injustice, as well as to safeguard the environment and ensure that all people have access to health, justice, and prosperity. As a result, it is critical that no one is left behind.
“So this is the awareness that we are trying to do in order to get people to be aware of what the 17 SDG goals are all about,” he said.
Wee revealed that the council will soon launch water harvesting and other projects at the Stutong Community Market.
“We hope that the market will become a place for students to study. At least, they will understand what the SDGs are about from at a young age,” he added.
Wee also said that while there is currently no SDG Day, every day should be designated an SDG Day as part of the individual’s regular routine.
“So that’s why I think it’s time that while we are talking about basically the environment, cleanliness, and all that, we must have all these to be inclusive of it and then make sure that everything is sustainable,” he said.
Junior Chamber International (JCI) Kuching is collaborating on the SDG bus stop signboard campaign.
According to reports, MBKS has accomplished a key milestone in sustainability by receiving the 2023 JCI Malaysia Sustainable Development Award under SDG Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities & Communities. The “Upgrading of Traffic Garden, Recreation Garden, and Open Spaces of Kenyalang Park Housing Estate” project received this award.
