PADAWAN – A proposal has been tabled for a new waste collection centre in Kampung Garung, Padawan, aimed at bolstering waste-management infrastructure and improving cleanliness within the local community.
The site evaluation took place on Monday afternoon, led by Keron Mapus, the Special Administrative Officer to the Deputy Minister for Transport (Land and Aviation), and Datuk Dr. Jerip Susil, the State Assemblyman for Mambong, who spearheaded the inspection.
During this visit, several plots across the village were reviewed to determine the most strategic and accessible location for the facility.
Officials say that the centre will act as a centralised hub for waste collection and disposal, designed to streamline solid-waste workflows and mitigate unsanitary conditions often linked to irregular collection or inadequate disposal.
Key priorities for the centre include safety, ease of access and environmental sustainability. The facility is planned to accommodate waste-collection vehicles better, reducing reliance on open dumping and enabling a cleaner living environment for residents.
This initiative forms part of the broader rural-infrastructure improvement efforts by the Sarawak Government across the Mambong constituency.
In particular, it demonstrates Datuk Dr. Jerip Susil’s commitment to advancing healthier and more sustainable living conditions in villages along routes such as the Puncak Borneo corridor.
Village leaders have repeatedly flagged the lack of proper disposal infrastructure in Kampung Garung. Recurrent hygiene and environmental concerns have drawn attention to the urgent need for a dedicated facility.
With this centre, locals hope for a timely and effective solution that not only addresses the physical infrastructure gap but also raises community awareness about environmental cleanliness.
The proposed centre also aligns with the state’s push towards sustainable rural development and the integrated framework of the Post-COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030. That strategy places emphasis on balanced growth and improved quality of life for all citizens in Sarawak.
Notably, the state is currently formulating a comprehensive waste-management master plan, to be completed by end-2025, that will guide infrastructure and policy through to 2050. This underscores the relevance of local facility upgrades such as the one proposed in Kampung Garung.
Also present during the site visit were Julius Scott Sapong, Administrative Officer-in-Charge of the Padawan Sub-District Office; Lee Ghee Seng, Logistics & Services Divisional Manager of private contractor Trienekens (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd; and Mapus Raki, Village Chief of Kampung Garung.
Their involvement speaks to the collaborative nature of the project, encompassing local government, private-sector logistics, and grassroots leadership.
According to research into municipal-solid-waste management in Sarawak, rural local-authorities often face lower collection coverage compared to urban centres, largely due to geographical challenges and infrastructure gaps.
With the proposed facility, the local authorities aim not only to bridge a long-standing gap in infrastructure but also to support wider state ambitions to pivot away from landfill-dependence and towards more integrated, sustainable waste-management systems.
The inclusion of accessibility for collection vehicles, formalised disposal workflows and local-resident engagement all point to an improved model of service delivery for Kampung Garung and similar communities.
Moving ahead, the next steps will include finalising the precise location, securing necessary approvals and ensuring that design, construction and operations meet the standards planned for both regional and state-wide environmental targets.
Residents of Kampung Garung are hopeful that the new centre will lift the quality of their environment and contribute to a cleaner, healthier village.
