KSMC mulls banning use of styrofoam from next year
KOTA SAMARAHAN: Kota Samarahan Municipal Council ( KSMC) is considering banning the use of styrofoam from next year, following the call by Ministry of Housing and Local Government to do away with the non-biodegradable food container.
KSMC chairman Datuk Peter Minos said the council was seriously “thinking and planning” to ban the use of such food containers.
“Starting from next year, we (council) want to follow other councils to ban the use of styrofoam and we are seriously thinking and planning to do so,” he told a press conference yesterday at the council’s office here.
Both Sibu Municipal Council ( SMC) and Miri City Council ( MCC) are prohibiting the use of styrofoam from January next year.
Minos said prohibiting the use of styrofoam was among the new policies to be implemented by the council next year, adding that he had seen a demonstration whereby styrofoam melted when hot rice was put inside, which is hazardous to health.
Minos also informed that the council had been allocated RM500,000 by the state government to build a night market in Kota Samarahan next year, where 60
Starting from next year, we (council) want to follow other councils to ban the use of styrofoam and we are now seriously thinking and planning to do so.
stalls would be set up.
He said the night market would help attract tourists to the area and help small traders increase their income, adding the council was still working on the details.
“It seems tourists are attracted to night markets and with the setting up of such centre (in Kota Samarahan) it will help to pull tourists to the area and at the same time assist small traders,” he pointed out.
He also told reporters that the council, from next year, would be very strict on traders who occupy bus stops for trading, stressing that the council had received several complaints pertaining to the issue, and described the situation as “disturbing”.
On a related matter, he urged the people living in the area to pay their 2017 assessment bills, stressing that the council would be very strict on unpaid bills.
Meanwhile, Minos said the council had set up a WhatsApp application through 013- 8561116 to receive complaints around the clock from members of the public, particularly on issues concerning KSMC.
He added that the application would enable the council to act immediately on public complaints like on clogged drains, rubbish not collected as scheduled, potholes and damaged road due to wet season, among others.
Datuk Peter Minos, KSMC chairman