KUCHING – Kuching South City Council (MBKS) received six awards at the Green and Geopark Excellence Awards 2026, securing the highest number of honours among recipients at the ceremony.
The awards recognised a range of MBKS initiatives covering sustainable city leadership, environmental education, recycling, community participation, food security and the use of green technology in urban infrastructure.
The awards were presented by Deputy Premier and Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government Sarawak Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian.
The MBKS delegation at the ceremony comprised Deputy Mayor Cr Zaiedi bin Suhaili, Cr Drahman bin Jaladin, Cr Judy Kho and Cr Albert Tay, Acting City Secretary Wong Ming Kong and Senior Assistant Secretary Lilian Liew.
The six awards received by MBKS were the Outstanding Sustainable City Transformation Leadership award, recognising the leadership of Kuching South Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng, and the Environmental Education and Awareness award for the council’s Community Composting Education Programme using the Takakura method.
MBKS also received the Green Technology Innovation award for iBuyBack, which uses digital technology to support recycling, and the Community Circularity Pioneer award for Bank Sampah.
The remaining honours were the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security award for Kuching Farmer Market and the Smart Green Infrastructure Innovation award for the ESG Smart Pole.
Wee said sustainability had remained one of his key priorities since he became Mayor of Kuching South in September 2019.
“My belief was simple. We should not only manage the city for today. We must prepare Kuching South for the generations to come,” he said.
Since then, MBKS has pursued a range of initiatives focused on environmental protection, waste reduction, circular economy practices, greener public spaces, community participation and healthier urban living.
The Community Composting Education Programme, for example, introduces residents to the Takakura composting method, allowing food waste to be converted into compost for use in gardening and planting.
The approach is intended to reduce the amount of organic waste requiring disposal while encouraging households and communities to take a more active role in waste management.
The council’s iBuyBack initiative applies digital technology to recycling activities, while Bank Sampah promotes community participation in the recovery and collection of recyclable materials.
Kuching Farmer Market supports local producers and contributes to access to food, while the ESG Smart Pole represents MBKS’s efforts to incorporate green technology and sustainability considerations into urban infrastructure.
Wee said he was honoured to receive the Outstanding Sustainable City Transformation Leadership award, but stressed that the recognition was the result of collective efforts involving councillors, council staff, partners and residents.
“Whatever we have achieved has been through people working together. Our Councillors, staff, partners and residents have helped turn our plans into action. These awards belong to everyone who has contributed to making Kuching South a better place,” he said.
The six awards also reflect the range of areas covered by MBKS’s sustainability agenda, extending from household and community-level environmental practices to food security and technology-based urban infrastructure.
Wee said receiving the highest number of awards at the ceremony would encourage MBKS to continue strengthening its sustainability programmes and partnerships.
“For MBKS, sustainability is part of how we plan, how we act and how we prepare our city for the future. We are proud of these awards, but our work continues. We will keep working towards a greener, more resilient and more liveable Kuching South for everyone,” he said. – Sarawak Daily
