Kota Kinabalu: City Hall (DBKK) is working round the clock to make Kota Kinabalu a cleaner and safer city for residents and visitors, but needs the public’s help to tackle ongoing challenges.
“We are working with the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission to install CCTVs and plans are in the pipeline to set up a command centre to monitor recordings and other matters,” said Mayor Datuk Seri Dr Sabin Samitah during a courtesy visit by the Kota Kinabalu Journalists Association (KKJA) led by its Chairman Jimmy Goh, Monday, in conjunction with the Chinese New Year.
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Sabin pointed out that DBKK continues to face problems like vandalism and littering despite efforts to address these issues with limited manpower and budget.
“The stretch from the city centre all the way to Telipok has become a spot for vandalism, with instances of cables and wires from the streetlights being cut off and even stolen.
“This is where the media plays an important role in getting the message across to the public on the need for us to work together to make our city clean and safe,” he said.
He said DBKK hopes the plan to install CCTV cameras at hotspot areas can be realised by this year, noting that it will need huge budgets to fix these problems.
Additionally, he said DBKK has taken measures such as increasing fines and enforcement on the ground to address issues like littering.
“It will definitely take time to solve these matters, especially when it comes to changing people’s habits.
“We welcome suggestions from the public on how we can improve the image of our city, its cleanliness, beauty and economic growth,” he said, adding that good ideas are needed because making the city better is everyone’s responsibility.
He also said DBKK tries to keep as many public spaces accessible for families to enjoy, pointing out that if every location is privatised, then there would be fewer areas for the public to hang out with their family and friends at affordable or zero cost.
On top of that, he raised concern about the growing number of water village extensions in Pulau Gaya, pointing out that while there is only one gazetted village, many illegal extensions have appeared.
“We need to find a solution for this as well,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jimmy thanked Sabin for taking time to meet the KKJA.
“These meetings can help strengthen ties and communication between us (the media) and DBKK.
“We also hope this cooperation can continue so that together we can develop Kota Kinabalu into a more beautiful, well-organised and safe city,” he said, adding that under the mayor’s leadership, he is confident this can be achieved.
