Kota Kinabalu: Cleanliness and waste management fall under local government jurisdiction and should not be politicised, said Parti Warisan President Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal (pic).
He said State Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam, whose portfolio includes local authorities, should take responsibility and work closely with councils to address the problem.
“When Warisan governed Sabah, Semporna was among the cleanest districts under the Sabah Bebas Sampah (SBS) campaign,” he said.
Shafie said the initiative successfully mobilised local communities through enforcement and awareness programmes, including incentives for youths to collect waste and innovations such as the SkinoBot sea-cleaning vessel and incinerator systems.
“Cleanliness is a shared responsibility. It should not be used as a political weapon but as part of our collective effort to keep Sabah beautiful and support tourism,” he told reporters at the party’s headquarters in Kolombing, here, Thursday.
Shafie was responding to remarks by Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming on Semporna’s cleanliness.
Nga had urged Shafie, who is Semporna Member of Parliament, to ensure it doesn’t become the dirtiest town in Asia.
“Next year is Visit Malaysia 2026, so with all due respect, I would like to ask the Semporna MP to be diligent in going down to the field. It is understood that he has been there for over 30 years, and it is his responsibility to monitor the town’s cleanliness,” he said.
Shafie also called for fair and inclusive development across all constituencies, regardless of political affiliation.
He said opposition representatives should not be excluded from District Action Committees as they were elected by the people.
Warisan Deputy President Datuk Darell Leiking, who was also present, clarified that during the State Assembly sitting, Rural Development Minister Datuk Jahid Jahim had confirmed that opposition assemblymen were not allowed to sit in the committees, with their roles taken over by appointed community leaders (UPPM).
“This is unfair to voters. Development projects should not depend on which party represents the area. Roads and schools serve the people, not politics,” Shafie said.
Meanwhile, several former senior government officers and local leaders from across Sabah have joined Parti Warisan, pledging their support to help strengthen unity and development in the State.
Shafie said the group met him to share ideas on Sabah’s development direction and how to improve project implementation at the district level, particularly in infrastructure such as roads, water and electricity supply.
He said their experience would help the party shape practical policies for the people and ensure better coordination between State and district administrations.
Among those who joined were former District Officers and Assistant District Officers (ADOs) who had served in various parts of Sabah, including Tawau, Semporna, Beaufort, Tuaran, Tambunan, Nabawan and Lahad Datu.
Shafie said their decades of public service gave them valuable insight into the challenges faced by local communities.
“They have worked at the grassroots and understand the real issues on the ground. Their advice and knowledge will strengthen our planning and delivery,” he said.
He said the former officers did not request any political posts, but voiced concern over unemployment and the lack of basic facilities such as clean water, electricity and Internet access in rural schools.
“They told me their main wish is to see the next generation of Sabahans live better lives. Many schools still lack basic facilities and we need to fix this together,” he said.
