Council to go green by 2020 - The Star

Feb 26 2015 - Ivan Loh 

THE Ipoh City Council is planning to replace its Ipoh Local Plan 2020 to reflect the times as rapid development is taking place.

Datuk Bandar Datuk Harun Rawi said the city council would conduct a study to review the plan, which was gazetted in 2012, and replace it with an updated plan.

“The studies will be conducted from time to time as zoning exercises and development takes place.

“It could take up to two years before the new plan could be in place,” he told journalists after chairing the city council fullboard meeting recently.

“We will also try to get the necessary approval and estimated allocations for the plan,” he said, adding that it was one of the city council’s programmes to turn Ipoh into a compact and liveable city.

Harun said a lot of factors within the current plan needs to be reviewed and changed.

“These include the public transportation masterplan and highrise developments,” he said.

“We have had lots of applications for project developments and these would also be studied,” he added.

Harun also said the city council would adopt a “green neighbourhood” concept by working on several initiatives.

He said the city council would work on two masterplans for bicycle paths and pedestrian paths.

“We will also work on several other initiatives including a rainwater harvesting system, community farming development and waste composting programmes,” he said.

“For new development projects, the city council has also set a requirement to introduce green technology,” he added.

On the safety aspect of the city, Harun said some RM339,000 has been allocated by the Local Government Department for a “bleaching” programme in Gugusan Manjoi.

He said studies have been conducted with the residents there and the city council is carrying out its programme to improve the infrastructure to make the area safer.

Gotong Royong with Staff of Horison Seminyak Hotel in Bali to clean up Kuta Beach Jan 31 2015

This morning 31 Jan 2015, while our way for a morning jog at the beach of Kuta, we stumbled upon a group of volunteers in red T' Shirt and I walked up to them and enquire to find out what were they doing. I was told by one of the volunteers that they are staff of Horison Seminyak Hotel in Bali doing their voluntary job to help lean up the beach of Kuta, collecting plastics, which were either thrown by visitors there or washed ashore.

I introduced myself from Ipoh City Watch and congratulated them for their good deeds. I decide to join them to show that we do care for the environment. We made friends with the Balinese and we all agreed that there should be some concerned NGO in Bali to take care of the environment.

Thanks to Raiss and Diky for leading the team. Good job.

We are proud to be part of them and will always cherished forever such experience. We all need to be concerned about our environment and it is our responsibility to keep our environment clean and green.