Negeri terbersih lonjak Ipoh - Sinar Harian

30 April 2018 by Saifullah Ahmad

Kebersihan bandaraya Ipoh yang terus dipelihara hasil komitmen Zambry yang mencetuskan kempen Perak Yang Bersih.

IPOH - Kesungguhan dalam memastikan bandaraya Ipoh bersih antara faktor tarikan pelancong sehingga mendapat perhatian di peringkat antarabangsa.

Pengiktirafan daripada Lonely Planet dan terbaharu pengiktirafan daripada The New York Times dalam ruangan Travel pada 28 Februari lalu membuktikan usaha yang dilakukan kerajaan tidak sia-sia.

Pengerusi Koperasi Alam Hijau Perak Berhad (Kohijau), Dr Richard Ng berkata, semua ini sebenarnya rentetan daripada komitmen Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir yang tidak berkompromi terhadap kebersihan bandar raya ini.

Katanya, pendekatan turun padang dalam memastikan keadaan negeri ini khususnya kawasan bandar bersih sangat berkesan.

“Dr Zambry bukan sahaja beri arahan untuk jaga kebersihan, tetapi beliau turun sama-sama kutip sampah dengan pekerja Majlis Bandaraya Ipoh (MBI). Tak ada orang sanggup buat melainkan pemimpin itu serius dengan apa yang dikata.

“Impaknya inilah. Perak sudahpun menjadi negeri kedua terbersih di Malaysia hasil kerjasama semua dan komitmen menteri besar itu,” katanya kepada Sinar Harian.

Katanya, tindakan Zambry turun padang memastikan Perak bersih juga mencetuskan semangat baharu kepada pihak berkuasa tempatan (PBT) di negeri ini untuk memastikan bandar atau pekan mereka bersih.

Richard berkata, di sebalik pembangunan yang semakin pesat di Ipoh, kelestarian alam sekitar tidak dipandang ringan.

Malah katanya, Zambry sendiri dalam Executive Talk pada tahun 2017 dan diulang pada tahun 2018 memberi penekanan terhadap kehijauan bandar ini.

“Pembangunan dan kemajuan sesuatu kawasan itu memang diperlukan bagi membuka pelbagai ruang serta peluang kepada penduduk. Namun, sesuatu pembangunan yang dirancang perlu seimbang dengan alam.

“Itulah dasar Dr Zambry yang mahu melihat kehijauan alam tidak diganggu sebaliknya menggunakan alam semulajadi yang ada sebagai satu kelebihan dalam pembangunan dilaksanakan itu,” katanya.

Richard berkata, begitu juga dengan kebersihan tandas yang begitu dititikberatkan menteri besar dalam memastikan aspek kebersihan meliputi semua peringkat dan tempat.

Menurutnya, kempen Perak Yang Bersih cetusan idea Zambry disambut baik seluruh rakyat di negeri ini.

http://www.sinarharian.com.my/edisi/perak/negeri-terbersih-lonjak-ipoh-1.828122

Ipoh, The Cleanest City? - Ipoh Echo

1 Sept 2017

By Mei Kuan, Ili Aqilah and Khaleeja Suhaimi

Ipoh was recently named Malaysia’s cleanest city in 2016 ahead of Penang and 2015’s cleanest city, Johor Bharu. Based on the ministerial rating system, Ipoh scored 97.45. This was announced by the Urban Well-Being, Housing and Local Government Minister on August 14.

“When the rating system was first introduced in 2008, Ipoh scored only 3 stars, a decade later, 5 stars and was ranked first in the country. Ipoh is definitely the model to emulate when it comes to handling waste management,” said Tan Sri Noh Omar, Minister of Urban Well Being, Housing and Local Government during a ceremony held at Ipoh Convention Centre (ICC) recently. The other town in Perak that made it to the top ten is Manjung with 94.75 points.

Ipoh Echo sent its team to get feedback from Ipoh City Council, NGOs and members of the public regarding the award and determine whether Ipoh is indeed the cleanest city in Malaysia.

The Role of Ipoh City Council

Mayor Dato’ Zamri Man is a man with a mission. He is determined to keep Ipoh clean. He does so by organising activities such as gotong royong, cleaning drains, clearing illegal dumps and encouraging Ipohites to recycle trash.

His other efforts include erecting lamp posts along Kinta River, lighting up trees along the streets and planting new trees within city limits.

“In order to maintain cleanliness, the public must work together with us. What’s the point of getting five stars if we don’t play a part in achieving a sustainable environment?” said Zamri.

In conjunction with the Perak Yang Bersih (Clean Perak) campaign launched by Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri DiRaja Dr Zambry Abd. Kadir on March 31, the council has organised a dedicated cleaning campaign every third Friday of the month.

The campaign will be conducted throughout the year with different themes every month. The theme for August was Smart Partnership, September is on Green Run, October pertains to Car Free Day, November will be about clean rivers and landscaping while December is on recycled items.

A total of 74 gotong royong were held from the beginning of the year till August 12. A total of 10,876 illegal dumps were cleared.

Vandalism is a recurring problem in Ipoh. Those caught can be jailed for six months or fined RM1000.

In order to maintain the cleanliness, Ipohites should play their part. They should start by picking up rubbish they see on the ground. Most of us are of the impression that such simple acts amount to nothing.

We should start recycling instead of throwing away papers, plastics and aluminium. We do not realise how recycling can impact our lives.

The mayor has stressed a lot on going green and planting trees, in and around the city. In fact, every household is encouraged to have plants in their compound to increase the oxygen level in Ipoh.

Last year, Ipoh City Council in collaboration with Maybank planted 500 plants from Gunung Cheroh right to People’s Park.

“My gratitude and congratulations to Ipoh City Council for attaining this award. We’re very happy to achieve this and we hope to attain it every other year,” said Zamri at the August full-board meeting.

In order to maintain the 5-star status, Ipohites need to work hand-in-hand with the council. Upgrading the Kinta Riverwalk is imperative.

“We’ll improve the lighting and make things more conducive for tourists. The whole works will cost around RM4 million. My proposal is still being considered by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture,” Zamri remarked.

Role of Ipoh City Watch

Associate Professor Dr Richard Ng, President of Ipoh City Watch (ICW) cum Chairman of KOHIJAU shared his thoughts with Ipoh Echo on the matter, “The announcement caught Ipohites by surprise. Many accepted it with mixed feelings because there’s still a lot of illegal dumpsites in the city.”

“It’s not a surprise to me for many reasons. Firstly, Perak was declared the second cleanest state in Malaysia in 2016 by the Malaysian Tourism Board after Terengganu, based on certain criteria. Ipoh was also accredited by Lonely Planet as one the top 10 recommended destinations in Asia,” he added.

Among the criteria used include having strategic action plans, commitment to quality operations, innovations and creativity, use of ICT, integrity, good record keeping, handling of customers’ complaints and feedback, and media reports on activities of the council.  

Compared to the other local councils, Ipoh City Council has scored the highest points based on cleanliness. This includes environment-control activities with a maximum score of 3.25 points, solid waste management and disposal, and cleanliness of public places such as People’s Park and toilets which score 1.75 points, handling customers’ feedback and complaints with a score of 5.00 points, and community involvement, which include conduct of LA21 activities for a sustainable environment which score 10.00 points.

Thus criteria for cleanliness have a total score of 20.00/100.00 or 20% of the Local Government Star Rating system. Out of these 20 points, Ipoh City Council scored the highest among all the local councils making Ipoh the cleanest city in Malaysia.

“Credit goes to the mayor, Dato’ Zamri Man whose leadership got things moving to achieve the various key performance indicators set. Nevertheless, our Menteri Besar Dr Zambry Abd Kadir should also be thanked for this success. He was the man responsible for making Perak and Ipoh what they are today. Perak will soon be the cleanest state in Malaysia.”

According to Richard, many critics have tried to belittle our MB labelling him the garbage man not knowing that by going down with the mayor and the workers, he was setting an example to all local council staff to take cleanliness seriously. Zambry also launched the Clean Perak campaign on March 31 setting the stage for Perakeans to follow.

Ipoh Car Free Day, launched two years ago by the council, tree-planting campaign and tree tagging have also contributed towards making Ipoh the cleanest city.

“However, much still needs to be done by the council and the state government if we want to retain the cleanest city status. These include effective enforcement to ensure that perpetrators of illegal dumping are caught and prosecuted. The current fine of RM500 does not deter these litterbugs,” Richard pointed out.

“All business outlets must have a rubbish bin each before their business licenses are renewed. Cleaning must also be done twice daily by council workers, as practised in China and Japan. The workers must also be monitored and given key performance indicators as a form of motivation,” he added.

“The council must ensure its complaint and feedback system is people-friendly and can be assessed in different ways convenient for the people. The complaint system must be managed by staff who are people-friendly. They should receive complaints and channel them to the respective departments to handle within a certain timeframe. Those who complain and provide feedback regularly should be rewarded,” he said.

Last September, Ipoh was declared the 5th Social Business City in the world by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Professor Muhammad Yunus during the Pangkor International Dialogue. The status requires Ipoh to practise the 17 sustainable development goals set by United Nations, one of which is related to sustainable environment. 

KOHIJAU-ICYCLE, for instance, has been playing a significant role in helping the government by educating the public through a reward-point-recycling system using the social business concept which enable participating NGOs, residence associations and schools and their members to keep 60% of the revenue earned from the sales of recyclables to assist in their activities.

To date, 18 of the 52 KOHIJAU-ICYCLE recycling bins, costing RM36,000, have been placed in various parts of Ipoh for the convenience of the public to recycle. This will help reduce at least 30% of the garbage from going to landfills and can help reduce illegal dumping. It too helps the local council to save cost on waste disposal.

“Since our launch in September last year, we’ve successfully signed up over 3000 recycling members contributing more than 30,000kg of recyclables. By end of 2017, we aim to instal about 100 bins and recruit a total of 10,000 members. Ipoh City Watch and KOHIJAU will collaborate with other NGOs as well as Rukun Tetangga to help Perak become the cleanest state in Malaysia,” Richard concluded.

Comments by Public

With a job that requires her to travel, Lim Bay Gie, 28, an Ipohite who is currently staying in Kuala Lumpur has mixed feelings when the news broke,

“Ipoh is definitely a clean city but certainly not the cleanest. There are certain areas in Ipoh with less waste but look at our public toilets, they’re still disgusting,” exclaimed Lim. Without the smelly toilets, Ipoh could be the cleanest, she reasoned.

We met poet Wani Ardy, 32, from Shah Alam who stays in Ipoh. He runs a bed and breakfast outlet named Rumah Ipoh.

“Ipoh is fairly clean but the cleanest in Malaysia? This means Malaysia isn’t clean. Take a look at Old Town. The streets are pretty narrow and narrow streets get dirty fairly easily. And what’s troubling is they’re not accessible by garbage trucks,” said Wani.

“People do recycle but most of them do it individually. We need to see more recycling bins at public places. The good thing about Ipoh is that the people are very careful with their money that’s why second-hand goods are in demand here. It’s great for sustainability as wastage is minimised,” added Wani.

For Goh Poh Ann, 19, a former Ipohite who is currently studying studio art in Pennsylvania was surprised when told.

“Although it’s been awhile, Ipoh seems to look cleaner than before. Perhaps the growing number tourists who visit the city has prompted the council to work harder to maintain the city’s image,” Goh reasoned.

https://www.ipohecho.com.my/v4/article/2017/09/01/ipoh-the-cleanest-city

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/

KOHIJAU-ICYCLE Recycling System Launching in Muallim District

April 28, 2017

Muallim District became the first district in Perak to launch 10 bins for the collection of recyclables using the KOHIJAU-ICYCLE system on 28 April 2017.

The bins were launched by YB Datuk Hjh Rusnah Kassim, the Perak State Exco and State Assembly woman for Behrang at Taman Tasik YDP, Slim River. It was also attended by the District Offcier, Puan Norsham and YDP of Tanjong Malim. Also present include Dr. CS Tan, CEO of ICYCLE (M) Sdn. Bhd.

The programme began with Aerobic Session and then followed by a briefing on KOHIJAU-ICYCLE Recycling Reward Point System by Dr. Richard Ng, Chairman of KOHIJAU. Students and staff of IPD OUM as well as volunteers from KOHIJAU were also present to lend support.

Not afraid to get his hands dirty - The Star

3 April 2017

THERE were many surprised looks when Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir was seen raking grass and collecting rubbish in several areas in the city last Friday.

At first glance many assumed it was just a routine clean up involving Ipoh City Council (MBI) workers. However, on closer inspection, members of the public were surprised to see Zambry, Mayor Datuk Zamri Man, and Women Development, Family, Community Welfare, Housing and Local Government Committee Chairman Datuk Rusnah Kassim taking part in the clean-up operation.

Zambry led the clean up in conjunction with the launch of the Perak Yang Bersih (Clean Perak) campaign, designed to improve cleanliness in the state.

While many would have craved a few extra minutes sleep at 6.30am, the Mentri Besar was up and abpit as he and the others gathered at five areas around the city with rakes, brooms, and plastic bags.

The five areas were the Medan Kidd bus station, the iconic Ipoh Railway Station, which turned 100 this year, the Dato Sagor food court famed for its Roti Goyang, and Concubine Lane.

The teams, comprising state government agencies, non-governmental organisations, and schools, cleaned various part of the city.

Many of the participants of the clean up said the two hours they sacrificed was to raise awareness among the public of what needs to be done to make Ipoh a clean city.

Similar activities were also launched simultaneously in towns throughout Perak’s 12 districts, including Kampar, Bagan Datuk, Taiping, and Parit Buntar.

With thousands of people taking part, Zambry said the response from the public was encouraging.

The Mentri Besar had previously stated that he wants Perak to be the cleanest state in the country.

“This will not be a one-off thing. We hope to make this a weekly or monthly event until we create a culture of cleanliness among the people.

“Ipoh is mostly clean, but we can do better. If a someone walks down the street, we want them to have the mindset of picking up any rubbish that they see and disposing of it properly. The most important thing is to educate people. We will also be making cleanliness a measure of performance for local councils,” he told reporters after launching the campaign at the Ipoh Padang.

At the launch, he said that the state government’s mission is to make Perak a clean state and to make sure that happens, the people will have to work together with the authorities.

“I’m doing this for the state and its people. The idea came about when I saw the situation as it is. I go to the city often with the mayor and some places are just not clean.

“After seeing these places and also other areas across the state, I wanted to start this initiative and was further encouraged when the people of Perak and foreigners said Perak is not a dirty state. However, it would be even better if we could brand it as clean and green.

“We are serious about this and the councils will have to meet the target. We are doing this for people of Perak and a clean city or town will ensure a good future for the younger generation.”

Sharing some of his experiences in various cities around the world, Zambry said cleanliness determines how civilised the city is and he hopes Perak will emulate these cities in the near future.

“In Japan, school kids are cleaning toilets before school session starts. They are inculcating the habits at such an early age. We should do that and that’s the spirit we want.

“I believe Perak can achieve this status. If you walk and see rubbish, collect it and put it in a bin,” he said, adding that all 12 districts in the state today launched the program simultaneously.

His walkabout was also telecast live on Facebook and he went on to say that the whole world knows what Perak is all about and what their aim is.

“Political differences aside, let’s do something great for our state and making it clean will only enhance the image of the state in the eyes of the world,” he said.

On Feb 3, Zambry had also joined a similar clean-up operation, collecting rubbish and emptying waste disposal bins, wearing the orange-coloured T-shirt of an MBI general worker.

“People will criticise me by saying this is a publicity stunt, but they can say what they want. For me, it’s about creating awareness about an issue,” he said.

“By working on the ground, we can also motivate the council workers. We want them to know that they are appreciated and that their jwob is a noble one.”

He added that this will continue as long as he is the leader of the state.

“Some call me publicity seeker but I have done this before without any coverage. When I see a need, I do something about it. For me, actions speak louder than words.”

Location of KOHIJAU-ICYCLE Recycling Bins in Perak as at April 12, 2017

The bins have been placed at 20 locations as at April 12, 207 for the convenience of all recycling members to participate in our "Earn Recycling Points" programme to help cultivate the Recycling Culture among the people.

ADUN DAP kritik MB Perak kutip sampah

April 7, 2017

Sidang DUN Perak pada Rabu hampir kecoh apabila ADUN DAP-Tronoh, Yong Choo Kiong mengkritik tindakan Menteri Besar Perak, Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir melakukan kerja-kerja pembersihan dan pemunggahan sampah sarap bersama pekerja am Majlis Bandaraya Ipoh (MBI) pada Februari lalu.