Garbage problem: 50-year wait ends for Tawau folks

TAWAU: Some 88 families in Kg Bukit Kukusan 2 (Besi Buruk) can finally breathe a sigh of relief as their problem was resolved on Tuesday after more than 50 years of dealing with the issue of lacking a proper waste disposal facility.

The Tawau Municipal Council (MPT) has agreed to provide garbage collection services by placing a ro-ro (roll on-roll off) bin for the use of the village residents.

Abbas

One of the residents, Abbas Rahim, 62, said since the village’s establishment, residents had to dispose of their waste in open areas due to the absence of a proper disposal site.

“However, the open waste disposal area was closed at the request of health officials as it became a breeding ground for aedes mosquitoes, leading to dengue fever cases,” he said.

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Since then, Rahim said, the villagers had to dispose of their waste as far as Hilltop or Jalan Utara areas, and had to rely on others’ garbage bins to manage their waste.

Yuliana

Another resident, Yuliana Laandoh, 42, said complaints were made to the authorities previously, but no action was taken to resolve the issue.

“Therefore, during a recent meeting with Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah (PHRS) President Brig Gen (Rtd) Tan Sri Liew Yun Fah, I took the opportunity to voice this problem.

“Tan Sri’s representative from PHRS, together with MPT officers, came to the location and helped place a ro-ro bin in our village,” she added.

Ariffin Baco, 53, expressed his gratitude for the efforts made by PHRS in helping to resolve the residents’ problem, allowing their village area to be cleaner and better managed.

“Thank you, especially to the leadership of PHRS and MPT, for being willing to help overcome our problem here,” he said.

PHRS Vice President Datuk Lim Yin Kat said during the meeting, the authorities and residents reached an agreement regarding the waste management in the village.

“Essentially, MPT agreed to conduct garbage collection there through the placement of a ro-ro bin, while the residents will be responsible for paying a monthly rental fee of RM850 for the ro-ro bin through contributions from each family,” he said.

He added that Liew agreed to pay the rental fee for the first two months, while the residents will start paying from the third month onwards.

Lim expressed hope that the effort will be fully used by the residents in their efforts to maintain cleanliness and public health in the village.

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