Enforcement officers check businesses in Ipoh Garden for cleanliness - The Star Metro Perak

28 July 2017

An Ipoh City Council enforcement officer showing a summons that was issued to a shopowner in Ipoh Garden. Photos: RONNIE CHIN/The Star

SOME 11 shops in Ipoh Garden were issued with compounds as the Ipoh City Council continues with its enforcement efforts to curb illegal dumping of garbage.

During a three-hour operation earlier this week, enforcement officers wasted no time, going from shop to shop in the commercial area to check if businesses had proper rubbish bins.

During the operation on Wednesday, City Council enforcement officers were heard arguing with a restaurant owner about a pile of garbage bags that was found behind his shop.

“What can I do if other people are throwing their waste at the back of my shop?” the owner was heard saying, adding that he had already urged shopowners not to do so, although the issue still continued to persist.

Wooley Food City owner KS Ling showing the cabinet he constructed behind the premises to house a large rubbish bin.

The owner escaped being slapped with a compound as enforcement officers gave him a chance to take action on the issue.

Another eatery was, however, not so lucky as several bags of rubbish were found behind the premises, despite the presence of several rubbish bins.

City Council Enforcement Chief Wan Embong Ismail told MetroPerak that they had no choice but to issue compound to the owner.

“The eatery should have gotten a bigger rubbish bin. We conduct checks in the area regularly. We know who is abiding by the law and who isn’t,” he said, adding that the fines totalling RM2,750 were issued during the operation.

He said there were also cases of people throwing their rubbish into bins belonging to other businesses.

An overflowing rubbish bin in Ipoh Garden.

“When the bins are full, rubbish bags are then thrown on the ground next to it.

“We understand such cases do occur and we will give the respective shopowners a chance to do something about it,” he said.

“And of course, there are still some who openly flout the law, trying to blame others when the waste came from their own shop,” he added.

The City Council is now beefing up its fight against litterbugs and illegal dumpsites, taking various measures to ensure the city stays clean.

MetroPerak reported earlier this month that plainclothes enforcement officers were being deployed to catch litterbugs.

Ipoh Mayor Datuk Zamri Man was also quoted as saying that the authorities are mulling a proposal to increase the maximum fine for litterbugs from RM500 to RM1,000.

Enforcement officers checking the back of an eatery in Ipoh Garden where rubbish was being dumped next to the cooking area.

Wan Embong said it is mandatory for all shops to have a rubbish bin.

“The requirement is stated under the Rubbish Disposal, Collection and Waste Disposal By-law (Ipoh City Council) in the Local Government Act.

“Most shopowners are told about the bylaw when they apply for operating licence,” he said.

“I feel some people are just not taking it seriously,” he added.

He said restaurants, eateries and coffeeshops are advised to get bigger bins to accommodate larger volumes of rubbish.

“It all depends how much waste they generate. If the shops don’t need a big bin, they can always just get the normal sized bins, which cost less than RM20,” he said.

Enforcement officers checked on businesses with excessive rubbish bags behind their premises during the operation.

Wan Embong also said that most shopowners have expressed concern about their rubbish bins getting stolen.

“We advise them to keep the bins inside their shops when not in use or when they are closed and only take them out when rubbish collectors do their rounds.

“With regards to bigger bins, we suggest chaining them or building a structure to house them,” he said.

“I’ve seen some bigger eateries taking the initiative to build a structure to house bins in order to prevent theft of the bins,” he added.

During a check at a site regularly used for illegal dumpsite along Lengkok Canning, enforcement officers found several bags of rubbish there yet again.

“Even despite a warning sign being erected, it is disappointing to see people continuing to dump their garbage here. We will check the rubbish bags for clues and evidence to trace the rubbish back to those responsible,” he said.

http://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2017/07/28/warning-to-shopowners-enforcement-officers-check-businesses-in-ipoh-garden-for-cleanliness/

Kohijau aims to recruit 10,000 members for recycling programme - The Star Metro Perak

27 July 2017

Ng (right) exchanging documents with EBM Global Recycling of Philippines representative Amy Zamora Milana on the Kohijau iCycle system. Looking on is Rusnah.

KOPERASI Alam Hijau Perak Bhd (Kohijau), a non-governmental recycling organisation, is hoping to recruit 10,000 members by year end for its recycling programme.

Its chairman Associate Prof Dr Richard Ng said some 3,000 members had signed up to participate in the Kohijau-iCycle recycling reward point system.

He said under the system, contributors of recyclables were rewarded with cash or shopping vouchers, and they had a chance to win prizes through lucky draws held on a quarterly basis.

“The total number of recyclables collected until end of June is about 30,000kg, which means each member contributed an average of 10kg of recyclables.

“If we get 10,000 members, on an average, we will be able to collect 100,000 tonnes of recyclables, which would otherwise go to landfills,” he said in his speech before state executive councillor Datuk Rusnah Kassim launched the reward point system at the Loyal Garden Residences.

During the event, Kohijau also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with EBM Global Recycling of Philippines to use the reward system at the city of Tay Tay.

The Philippines was the third country after Kerala in India and Guang Zhou in China to sign with Kohijau.

Loyal Garden, which was the first condominium in Perak to embark on such an initiative, aimed for a zero waste community.

Tanjung Malim District Council’s councillor Habibah Yaakob showing the unused banners that she collects to make aprons and grocery bags.

Ng, who was also Ipoh City Watch president, said the management committee of the condominium would get its members and residents to separate their garbage and drop their recyclables at the Kohijau bin sponsored by the developer, Datuk Chan Chee Seng.

He said the management committee would be rewarded with 30% of the sales of the recyclables collected and contributing members would also be given 30%.

“This is part of the social business city concept implemented by Kohijau to help generate additional funds for collaborating organisations, while helping to keep the environment clean,” he added.

Ng said Kohijau had installed 40 bins throughout the state since September last year and another 15 bins would be installed next month and in September.

“We target to have 100 bins installed throughout Perak by the end of the year,” he added.

Rusnah, in her speech, said at one point, Ipoh was listed as the cleanest city in the country and along the way, it was no longer recognised as such.

She said currently, Perak was the second cleanest state, according to a Tourism Malaysia report.

“We want to be the best again and therefore we must do our part, and be responsible enough to ensure we achieve that target.

“In order for us to stay healthy, we must ensure that our surroundings and the environment is clean, and I am confident we can achieve that.

“As the saying goes, cleanliness is next to godliness, therefore recycling and keeping our surroundings clean must be our goal,” she added.

http://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2017/07/27/kohijau-aims-to-recruit-10000-members-for-recycling-programme/

Ipoh mulls RM1,000 fine for littering - The Star Metro Perak

24 July 2017

Zamri (in orange shirt) planting a tree with several city councillors at the event.

THE IPOH City Council is now considering imposing a RM1,000 fine on those caught littering.

Ipoh Datuk Bandar Datuk Zamri Man said discussions are now being held to impose the heftier fine as the City Council raises it efforts to solve the litteting and illegal dumping in the city.

“We want to adopt a serious approach when it comes to the cleanliness of the city.

“Depending on the amount of rubbish dumped by the litterbug, we are mulling a maximum fine of RM1,000,” he told reporters after launching the monthly City Council-level “Perak Yang Bersih” gotong-royong at the D. R. Seenivasagam Park on Friday.

“The people have been warned,” he said.

MetroPerak reported that the city council would review its current RM500 maximum compound imposed on litterbugs to curb illegal and indiscriminate dumping.

Zamri said that the RM500 fine was set in the 1980s and it was high time for it to be reviewed.

Volunteers sweeping the ground at the park.

With Perak now ranked the second cleanest state after Terengganu, Zamri said Ipoh wants to be recognised as one of the cleanest city in the country.

“We have held many gotong-royong events and we are glad that more people are now joining in,” he said.

Zamri reminded the people to be positive and to help clean the city.

“We have about 850,000 people in the city. If each helps to pick up rubbsh on the street, our city could be cleaner,” he said.

“We should not be negative and litter, which would cause problems for other people,” he added.

Zamri also said, as of this month, the city council has cleared up some 9,642 illegal dumpsites.

“A total of 2,933 tonnes of was collected.

“We have also issued 2,180 compounds and collected RM442,920 from these,” he said.

About 1,000 people, comprising staff from the City Council, various government departments, non-government organisations, Civic Society Council and Residents’ Representative Committees, were present during the gotong-royong.

Schoolchildren from two schools – SMK Raja Perempuan and SMK Raja Permaisuri Bainun – also joined in the gotong-royong event.

http://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2017/07/24/a-serious-look-at-littering-ipoh-city-council-considers-increasing-the-fine-for-littering-to-rm1000/

Survey: E-hailing drivers are making less than before - Malaysiakini

July 6, 2017

A survey has found that 51 percent of e-hailing service drivers are making less than a year before, according to a survey commissioned by DAP.

Forty percent of respondents said they were unsure whether there was a difference while only three percent believed that they were making more this year.

The survey involved 297 respondents who were recruited to fill in the online questionnaire.

DAP researcher Ong Kiang Ming said that the results of the survey showed that driving for Uber and Grab may not be as lucrative as people think.

The most prominent complaint by respondents, said Ong, was the commission rates charged by the two companies.

"Three-quarters of drivers surveyed feel that the 20 to 25 percent commission rates by Grab and Uber are unfair and more than 60 percent of drivers want the government to regulate the amount of commission which the e-hailing companies can charge," he told a press conference today.

Other findings from the survey, in brief, are:

• 40 percent of drivers are full-time;
• 53 percent are driving part-time as a second job;
• 64 percent of drivers have a least a diploma;
• 34 percent of drivers are based outside the Klang Valley; and
• Average monthly wages are approximately RM3,200 (average 2016 income according to Department of Statistic was RM2,463).

Ong and his colleague Liew Chin Tong said that Putrajaya's effort to regulate the e-hailing industry by amending the Land Public Transport Act 2010 and the Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board Act 1987 was a step in the right direction.

However, they urged Putrajaya to ensure that there are discussions with drivers in order to increase their awareness of the legislative amendments.

Efforts must also be made to ensure there will not be a monopoly or oligopoly, while regulating the commission rates companies can charge on drivers.

They also proposed that a tribunal be set up to hear appeals of e-hailing drivers who are subjected to punishment by the companies while ensuring that a level playing field between taxi drivers and e-hailing drivers exists.

"The end goal should be a market whereby taxi drivers as well as e-hailing drivers are properly compensated and the taxi companies and e-hailing companies cannot abuse their oligopolistic or monopolistic positions to mistreat the drivers and give passengers a bad service experience," Ong and Liew said in a statement today.