SIBU: Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) chairman Clarence Ting Ing Horh called for collaboration between the council and the University of Technology Sarawak (UTS) to resolve the mounting crisis of local landfills.
According to him, the landfills had rapidly surpassed the expected lifespan or timeline for reaching their current stage.
This, he said, is a clear indicator of the excessive amount of waste being generated here.
Drawing attention to the town’s exemplary scavenging service, which currently operates three times a week, Ting expressed his intention to reduce it to two times.
“It (reason for the move) is very simple. We are trying to discourage you from throwing away rubbish and in a way also tell you not to buy so many things. Don’t create so much waste. This is our message to you (the public),” he said while hosting members of UTS Student Council at his today (May 26).
On his recent visit to Singapore for the World Cities Summit, Ting said that discussions on climate change, sustainability and carbon reduction were prominent.
Hence, he emphasised the importance of raising public awareness and shaping government policies on environmental matters.
Expressing his concern that the issue had not received adequate attention, Ting called upon UTS to take a more active role in collaborating with SMC by organising seminars and inviting experts to discuss sustainable practices, waste management and environmental conservation.
Ting emphasised that this responsibility lay not only with the university but with the entire community as the efforts made today were crucial for the well-being of future generations.
“This topic must be university driven and I feel that UTS has not been doing much about this as well. I did not mean in the university. I mean doing it as a public thing. I would like UTS to be more active working with SMC on this matter. We are doing it for the future generation,” he said.
Ting believed the university should serve as a beacon of change and urged students to become educated advocates for a greener future.
