MIRI: The push to turn Miri into a cleaner, greener city has been sharply escalated with the launch of a strengthened anti-plastic bag campaign, signalling a harder line by the Miri City Council against persistent plastic pollution.
The initiative, ‘Kempen Nadai Ngena Kambut’, was launched by Miri Mayor and Pujut assemblyman Adam Yii Siew Sang, who made it clear that the campaign is not a symbolic exercise but a renewed, action-driven effort to curb the widespread use of plastic bags.
“This is about delivery, not optics. It reflects a collective commitment by the council, retailers and the community to protect our environment for the long term,” Yii said during the launch on Saturday.
Despite earlier campaigns that successfully raised awareness and shifted some consumer behaviour, plastic bag usage remains entrenched across the city, he said, with visible consequences.
“Plastic bags are still clogging drains after heavy rain, polluting rivers and coastal areas, and harming marine life. This is not an abstract global issue. It is happening here in Miri,” he stressed.
The revamped campaign builds on existing measures but adopts a broader and more inclusive approach, with stronger community engagement and closer collaboration with retailers and traders.
Yii noted that since 2018, the council has stopped collecting the 20 sen charge on plastic bags, leaving any charges imposed by supermarkets and retailers to be determined by traders themselves.
“The council’s role is not revenue collection. Our responsibility is to lead, to educate and to shape behaviour so the public understands the urgency of reducing plastic waste for the common good,” he said.
The campaign prioritises cutting plastic bag consumption, promoting reusable alternatives and forging strategic partnerships with supermarkets, retailers and small traders. It also targets schools, families and community organisations to embed environmental responsibility from the ground up.
Crucially, the initiative aligns with Sarawak’s Post-Covid Development Strategy 2030 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those linked to sustainable urban development, responsible consumption, climate action and marine ecosystem protection.
The launch included a symbolic handover of campaign banners to participating retailers, underscoring their public commitment to the initiative.
Yii urged Miri residents to embrace small but consistent changes, warning that incremental action, sustained over time, is what will ultimately define the city’s future.
“If we are serious about becoming a clean, resilient and sustainable city, this is where it starts,” he said.
