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KUCHING, Aug 29: Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) has been designated as one of the pioneering local councils to initiate the development and implementation of the Green City Action Plan (GCAP).
The announcement was made during the MPP’s 27th-anniversary dinner by Minister of Public Health, Housing, and Local Government, Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian.
He mentioned that this initiative is supported by the Ministry of Economy Malaysia (EPU), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), with ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability acting as the consultant.
The other three pioneer cities for the development of the new generation GCAP are Penang, Langkawi, and Kota Bharu.
“The GCAP will be developed as part of the 12th Malaysia Plan’s vision of ‘A Prosperous, Inclusive, Sustainable Malaysia’.
“It will identify constraints, gaps, and opportunities for resilient, sustainable, and low-carbon development in urban areas. This will also assist cities and towns in anticipating and responding to complex challenges such as rapid urbanization and climate change,” Dr Sim said.
He added that having a GCAP demonstrates the commitment to sustainable development not only in MPP but also in Kuching City as a whole.
Dr Sim’s speech was read by his deputy, Michael Tiang.
Addressing climate change and global warming, Dr Sim, who is also Sarawak’s deputy premier, warned that these issues are real and happening in the Staet.
“This is a worldwide phenomenon. The evident effects of climate change include rising temperatures and extreme weather events, which have also impacted Kuching and Padawan Municipality. Recently, we experienced severe flash floods in several key areas of Kuching city in March this year. Subsequently, during April, we encountered a heatwave with temperatures exceeding 37°C,” he lamented.
Given the urgent need to address climate change, Dr Sim expressed confidence that MPP can find solutions through the forthcoming GCAP.
Meanwhile, he commended the dedication and commitment of the councillors in addressing the needs and concerns of the residents.
“Despite your role as councillors being ‘part-time’ by name, but full-time in duty, with poor financial remuneration of only about RM1,500 allowances per month, your commitment is truly commendable.
“I urge all of you councillors to continue serving the people and working together with other supporting agencies. Engage actively and communicate with the communities, listen to their issues, and strive to assist them in solving problems related to council services,” Dr Sim said.
For this reason, he also requested all Local Councils to have their councillors’ names and mobile contact numbers published on the Councils’ websites so that everyone knows their councillor in their zone. — DayakDaily
