jessica2013-08-05T10:35:05+08:00Kota Kinabalu: Api Api Assemblywoman Christina Liew has lived up to her promise with the launching of her Kota Kinabalu City Cleanliness Campaign, an initiative funded by her to instil awareness among people in the city.
Launching the campaign in a brief ceremony held at Sabah Golf and Country Club here Thursday, Liew, who is also Kota Kinabalu PKR Division Chief, felt it is not something easy to do because it involves a lot of labour and hard work as well as changing the people's mentality.
This is apart from the fact that the programme is launched by an opposition party, she said, adding whatever it is, she and her Api Api Assemblywoman Office team are just complementing City Hall's effort to continuously promote cleanliness awareness among people in the city.
"This is not easy for an opposition party to launch a programme like this but I am glad that because of the ground inspection that we have done and the reports in the press media, I noticed that the government especially City Hall are giving a serious look at cleanliness in the city," she said, while also thanking non-governmental organisations and public members who volunteered to take part in the effort.
"This is a very good development and thus I commend the State Government and City Hall for that," she said.
Because a government that responds positively to any problem or issue raised by the public is good for Sabah and Sabahans, she said, delighted that the State Government has even allocated half a million ringgit just for cleaning up two islands here.
Liew also refuted the claim by another elected representative that she is discrediting the other elected representatives, saying it was totally wrong to say that because everyone knows that cleanliness is everyone's responsibility whether he or she is a leader or otherwise.
"Everybody has a role to play, because unless the people's mentality can be changed, nobody can do anything to make it work to reach the target of having a cleaner city for the people of Kota Kinabalu," she said.
She also hoped the people would change their attitude by helping to maintain the cleanliness, which is easy, that is by simply not throwing indiscriminately.
"My team and I will continue to compliment the government effort to maintain the city's cleanliness throughout my five-year term as an elected representative," she said.
Liew also suggested that the State Government via City Hall approve an allocation for helping owners of old shop buildings in the city to repaint and give facelifts to their respective premises, so they would look new and impressive enough to the eyes of the city visitors.
"This is also in line with the government's effort to boost the State tourism industry as well as to turn Kota Kinabalu into a beautiful, clean, vibrant and safe city so another RM500,000 or RM1 million allocation from the government to City Hall should be helpful for this purpose," she said.
Meanwhile, head of the cleanliness campaign, George Tan, said the month-long campaign is divided into two, the first one is an essay writing contest divided into Bahasa Malaysia, English and Chinese, with a title of "How To Make Kota Kinabalu A Cleaner City".
He said those interested can send their entries (3,000 words in length) to the Api Api Assemblywoman's Office at address: 602 Jalan Sang Kancil Satu, Karamunsing, Kota Kinabalu, or email to ybchristinaliew@gmail.com.
Each of the BM, English and Chinese categories provide RM1,000 cash as the first prize, while second and third places, RM800 and RM500, respectively. The last day for submission is Aug 15.
Secondly is the distribution of free campaign posters to all the restaurants and coffee shops in the city, which is meant to help instil awareness among all the people.
For more information, contact 088-247453.
Source: Daily Express
