The Sarawak PBT is accelerated by sustainable waste management

KUCHING, 7 Oct: Local authorities (PBT) in Sarawak are urged to strengthen their role in waste management as part of efforts to strengthen environmental sustainability practices in the state.

Deputy Prime Minister of Sarawak, Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said PBT has room to implement various approaches through small regulations and laws at the local level to ensure more sustainable waste management.

According to him, that approach includes the isolation of waste, the generation of energy from waste and the production of economic value from waste.

"At the local authority level, you can create small laws regarding waste isolation, energy generation from waste, economic value generation from waste, or whatever approach you want to use, and you can play their respective roles", he said.

He said this in his speech at the 2026 Green and Geopark Excellence Awards (GAGA) held at a leading hotel in Kuching, on Tuesday.

Dr Sim explained that efforts to strengthen waste management should be implemented through action at the local level, with PBT playing an important role in ensuring a sustainable approach can be applied within the community.

He also urged the relevant parties to use their powers while in a position to implement changes, including through the introduction of measures that can strengthen waste management practices.

According to him, such efforts should be implemented on an ongoing basis and not simply dependent on policy at a higher level, as action at local level also plays a role in achieving the sustainability agenda.

He also expressed hope that PBTs in Sarawak will continue to play their respective role in ensuring waste management can be implemented more effectively, thus supporting efforts to create a more sustainable environment-TVS