KOTA KINABALU: A by-law is being considered to address plastic usage in Sabah's capital, said Assistant Minister to the Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Abidin Madingkir.
He said a plastic bag reduction campaign, which begins in the city today, will be conducted on a voluntary basis among retailers and vendors.
"Currently, we only have an anti-litter by-law that imposes a maximum fine of RM500 on litterbugs.
"Such enforcement works in Singapore, where people are deterred by heavy fines.
"However, in Sabah, when we attempt to fine litterbugs, such as islanders, their wallets are often empty," he said during a press conference at the Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) headquarters.
City Mayor Datuk Seri Dr Sabin Samitah was also present.
Abidin, who is in charge of DBKK, acknowledged that while the campaign might be seen as "toothless" due to its lack of penalties, he still hoped for public cooperation.
During DBKK's no-plastic-bags initiative from September last year to June this year, there was a 30 per cent reduction, or 11,000 tonnes, in various types of plastic waste.
The local authority also established a centre for collecting recyclable plastics and is conducting ongoing public awareness programmes, including for children, to reduce waste.
He added that reducing plastic usage could attract more tourists to Sabah and benefit the rattan-based handicrafts community, as people could use their bags for shopping.
For now, DBKK is implementing the campaign in supermarkets, hypermarkets, and markets in Kota Kinabalu, Inanam, and Manggatal.
"We allow the use of biodegradable plastic bags that are available on the market."