SERIAN: Datuk Seri Michael Manyin Jawong has urged the local authorities in Serian to enforce the penalty for the wrongful dumping of rubbish in accordance to regulations.
The Education, Science and Technological Research Minister said that regulations and signboards stated that offenders could be fined RM300, but this had not been enforced on anyone by authorities.
“People still throw rubbish even though there are signs saying not to,” he said when speaking at the Gotong Royong Mega event at Serian Community Park here yesterday.
He pointed out locals, when visiting other countries such as Singapore, often praised the cleanliness there.
He said that Singapore had fines imposed on offenders who threw rubbish, and these were enforced. “But what is going on here?” he questioned.
Manyin emphasised that the responsibility of maintaining cleanliness should be applied within oneself, and the public should not rely on local authorities alone in this regard.
“If we can start from home and consider Serian as our home, it will be clean all the time.
“Once such habits are applied, we do not need to have gotong royong from time to time because the town will always be clean,” he said.
He said that if Serian was kept clean, more visitors would be attracted to it and this would benefit coffee shop owners and handicraft businesses.
Manyin suggested for posters to be specially made and put up as a reminder of everyone’s responsibility in maintaining cleanliness, with the slogan ‘Cleanliness is Our Responsibility’.
Also present were Kedup assemblyman Martin Ben, Bukit Semuja assemblyman John Ilus; Dr Simon Sinang Bada, a political secretary to the Chief Minister, Serian Resident Tuah Suni and Serian District Officer Lim Hock Meng.
