Sabah Environment Protection Council holds first meeting of the year
KOTA KINABALU: The state's stakeholders must address environmental impacts stemming from hillside clearing and poor solid waste management, says Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Christina Liew.
"The Sabah Environment Protection Council (MPASS) must take a serious view of environmental issues in line with our commitment to ensuring sustainable environmental governance in line with the Sabah State Environmental Policy 2017,' said Liew during the Council's first meeting for the year on Tuesday (May 27), which she chaired.
The council meeting agreed that follow-up discussions between technical departments and agencies should be held.
The Environment Protection Department (EPD) presented two discussion papers: the Study on Environmental Education Materials and Policy Implementation and the Study on the Water Quality Management Plan for the Sungai Inanam Catchment in Kota Kinabalu.
The department would distribute the results of the studies, including environmental awareness modules, a best practices document for environmental education, and board games, to stakeholders for reference and guidance.
It was also decided that recommendations from the water quality studies in Sungai Inanam would be adopted to prevent pollution and manage the water quality in that particular river.
Among those present were the ministry's deputy permanent secretary, I Mary Malangking; Natural Resources Office Secretary, Sernam Singh; EPD deputy director, Daisy Aloysius; Drainage and Irrigation Department deputy director, Miklin Ationg and Sabah Environment Department deputy director, Yaras Yurus.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Borneo Post
2 hours ago
- Borneo Post
Deputy Minister: Unity stands as true foundation of Sarawak's stability, progress
Ting (centre) leads the cake-cutting ceremony. On his left is Wong. MIRI (July 8): Sarawak's remarkable transformation from a resources-based state to a leader in high technology, green energy and smart city development is only possible through strong unity of its people, said Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Sebastian Ting. Speaking at the Miri Foochow annual dinner cum installation of its main committee, youth, women and senior citizen's wings on Sunday, Ting emphasised the collective spirit and close cooperation among the state's diverse communities including the Malay, Iban, Dayak, as well as various Chinese clan groups, as the true foundation of the state's stability and progress. Talking specifically about the Foochow community's well-known 'dare to fight, dare to win' spirit, he said this had 'contributed greatly to the journey'. 'We must continue to stand shoulder to shoulder, respecting and supporting each other, so that Sarawak can remain vibrant, harmonious and full of hope,' said the Piasau assemblyman, who is also a Foochow. He further described the community's resilience and entrepreneurship as being symbolised by the 'three knives: the scissors, the kitchen knives and the barber knives' – all representing the Foochow people's determination of building a better life from humble beginning. 'This is not a legendary tale, but a true reflection of the hard work and the fighting spirit of the Foochows, which have been passed down from one generation to the next.' Also present at the event was the association's chairman Wong Chie Bin. The dinner was made extra significant when the Foochow Porridge was served as one of the dishes. Known as 'Aojiu', the sweet porridge is a unique tradition of the community, served early on the 29th day of the first lunar month. Made as ancestral offerings or as gifts to relatives and friends, this dish's main ingredients comprise glutinous rice and brown sugar, with additional items such as peanuts, red dates, water chestnuts, sesame seeds and longan. Foochow green energy lead Sebastian Ting stability unity
Borneo Post
2 hours ago
- Borneo Post
‘Unity stands as true foundation of Sarawak's stability, progress'
Ting (centre) leads the cake-cutting ceremony. On his left is Wong. MIRI (July 8): Sarawak's remarkable transformation from a resources-based state to a leader in high technology, green energy and smart city development is only possible through strong unity of its people, said Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Sebastian Ting. Speaking at the Miri Foochow annual dinner cum installation of its main committee, youth, women and senior citizen's wings on Sunday, Ting emphasised the collective spirit and close cooperation among the state's diverse communities including the Malay, Iban, Dayak, as well as various Chinese clan groups, as the true foundation of the state's stability and progress. Talking specifically about the Foochow community's well-known 'dare to fight, dare to win' spirit, he said this had 'contributed greatly to the journey'. 'We must continue to stand shoulder to shoulder, respecting and supporting each other, so that Sarawak can remain vibrant, harmonious and full of hope,' said the Piasau assemblyman, who is also a Foochow. He further described the community's resilience and entrepreneurship as being symbolised by the 'three knives: the scissors, the kitchen knives and the barber knives' – all representing the Foochow people's determination of building a better life from humble beginning. 'This is not a legendary tale, but a true reflection of the hard work and the fighting spirit of the Foochows, which have been passed down from one generation to the next.' Also present at the event was the association's chairman Wong Chie Bin. The dinner was made extra significant when the Foochow Porridge was served as one of the dishes. Known as 'Aojiu', the sweet porridge is a unique tradition of the community, served early on the 29th day of the first lunar month. Made as ancestral offerings or as gifts to relatives and friends, this dish's main ingredients comprise glutinous rice and brown sugar, with additional items such as peanuts, red dates, water chestnuts, sesame seeds and longan. Foochow green energy lead Sebastian Ting stability unity
The Star
27-06-2025
- The Star
Big plans to expand sun bear conservation centre, but funding, manpower remain challenges, says CEO
KOTA KINABALU: There are big plans to see the expansion of the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) which currently houses 42 rescued sun bears, but funding and manpower continues to be their biggest challenge. BSBCC founder and chief executive officer Dr Wong Siew Te said that since its inception in 2008, the centre had come from a small sanctuary depending on public funding, government assistance to sales of tickets and souvenirs to sustain operations. Among their biggest supporters were the state Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry, he said, adding that the ministry even helped them raise funds for the Centre to get off the ground in 2008, and gave them a grant for operational costs in 2013. On his future plans, he envisions a third observation platform, an interpretation centre and new office building, and a captive breeding enclosure. 'I hope the ministry will continue to support our work in the future,' Wong said, adding that for the BSBCC, these construction plans need financing. Separately, they also need to raise RM1mil to build the Field Office and staff house for the Tabin Sun Bear Project, he stated. According to him, all the sun bears at the BSBCC had been rescued from illegal pet keeping after their mothers were brutally killed by poachers. Over the past 17 years, the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) had rescued 70 sun bear orphans and sent them to the conservation centre, Wong disclosed. Sun bears are a Class 1 Protected Species under the state's Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997. Other than the ministry, the Sabah Tourism Board (STB), an agency under the ministry, has also assisted BSBCC in many ways to promote the Centre to local and international tourism markets as well. Earlier, State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Christina Liew said the ministry has nurtured the growth and development of BSBCC since its inception in 2008. She said BSBCC, the only one of its kind in the world for protection of this endangered species, is a partnership project with the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD), an agency under the ministry, and Sabah Forestry Department. "Last year, we (allocated RM228,420 for the construction of Phase 1 of the Entrance Foyer, which has since been completed. 'This year saw an additional allocation of RM250,000 for construction of Phase 2 of the Entrance Foyer. Work is expected to start this year," Liew said. She noted that this 17-year-old tourist attraction, which is home to 42 rescued sun bears, draws local and international visitors like a magnet. "I was informed by Wong that the Centre received 79,362 visitors in 2024, with an average of 6,613 visitors per month. 'That year, international visitors from 115 countries visited, with the top three coming from United Kingdom, Australia and Italy,' Liew said. She said the peak season is from July to October, generating the most number of visitors with more Malaysian visitors during the school holidays. She said educationists, researchers, school children and teachers, wildlife conservationists, animal lovers, and the like make up the composition of visitors and tourists, the majority being nature lovers and nature-based tourists. 'Many may not be aware that the BSBCC is also the main implementing agency for the 10-year State Sun Bear Action Plan,' Liew said. According to Wong, the main attraction to visitors at BSBCC is watching the sun bears' natural behaviour in their natural habitat, the rainforest. He said visitors can sometimes see the bears climbing and sleeping high on the trees while random feedings enable the visitors to see them eating as well. "We try our best to take good care of the bears and rehabilitate them. Thirteen rescued sun bears were successfully rehabilitated and released back into the wild so far,' he said. 'In addition, the latest two rescued sun bear cubs have been sent to Tabin Wildlife Reserve to undergo the 'soft-release' programme,' Wong said.
