ANOTHER year, another accolade.
That’s the good news for the Penang Island City Council (MBPP), which has received an award yet again in the ASEAN Clean Tourist City Standard (ACTCS) 2020-2022.
State Local Government, Housing, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said this was the second time MBPP had won the award since 2018.
For this year, MBPP emerged as one of winners alongside Kota Kinabalu and Putrajaya local councils.
“I’m absolutely delighted when receiving this award in Brunei on Thursday.
“This recognition did not come easy to us.
“It is not solely about cleanliness but it encompasses a wide range of aspects.
“We have shown once again that we could succeed and deliver the results.
“I will lobby for Penang to become the host city in 2024 if we could come out tops again in 2022. Cambodia is the host for 2022,” he said at a press conference in Batu Maung waste transfer station yesterday.
The evaluation indicators in the ACTCS were based on environmental management, cleanliness, waste management, awareness-building about environmental protection and cleanliness; green spaces, health safety and urban safety and security; tourism infrastructure and facilities.
Present during the press conference were MBPP mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang, MBPP secretary Datuk Addnan Mohd Razali and MBPP councillors.
Jagdeep later presented the plaque to Yew and acknowledged the latter’s hard work.
He praised Yew and the MBPP team for their contributions and expressed hopes that the council would continue with its good effort.
Jagdeep told reporters that the state emphasised the feasibility of converting food waste to renewable energy.
He noted that such pilot project last year was a successful one and hoped to see it progress to another stage.
“Let us aim to convert 150 tonnes of food waste per day to renewable energy. I believe it will spur Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) to adopt such methodology as well.
“In fact, we are planning to identify a piece of about 15 acres of land for such initiative.
“It can either be on island or mainland but preferably to be on island,” he said.
On the average recycling rate, Jagdeep said MBPP and MBSP have done a good job.
He said the state achieved an overall of 44.04 percent of recycling rate last year.
“This shows the state is doing well,” he added, hoping that MBPP could achieve 85 percent targeted recycling rate by 2030 and MBSP could reach 70 percent by the same time as well.
Story and pix by Edmund Lee