Sabah polls: Kapayan rep Jannie Lasimbang pledges continued focus on environment, empowering communities

 By Olivia Miwil

November 20, 2025 @ 7:34pm

Kapayan assemblyman Datuk Jannie Lasimbang (second left) and volunteers completed at a recent gotong-royong event, completing a 6-tier eco-gabion at Kampung Nosoob Baru.-Pic courtesy of Jannie Lasimbang.

KOTA KINABALU: Environmental protection will remain one of Datuk Jannie Lasimbang's central priorities, a focus she has pursued over the past seven years.

The two-term Pakatan Harapan Kapayan assemblyman said she would look into several matters regarding the environment, including waste management, river cleaning and climate change mitigation.

"I have managed to convince one private sector, for example, to manage the two to five tonnes of vegetable and fruit waste in several places, including markets here in Kapayan.

"That waste could produce about 400 kilos of compost a day. So we want to continue to solve problems in the state, especially organic waste," she said during a press conference.

Present was DAP vice-chairman and women's wing chief Teo Nie Ching.

Apart from the composting effort, Jannie said the constituency has introduced rubbish traps, expanded recycling outreach and strengthened cooperation with local authorities and relevant agencies.

She added that the Kapayan River Squad has been formed to curb littering.

As for disaster mitigation, instead of using expensive gabion structures, Jannie has adopted a more practical and cost-effective "eco-gabion" technique that uses used tyres, implemented in two locations in the constituency.

Reflecting on her tenure, Jannie said she now has the experience to manage constituency allocations effectively.

With between RM3 million and RM4 million in annual funds from the government over recent years, she believes impactful programmes can be delivered when implemented in partnership with civil society and private sectors.

"I gave RM20,000 to the Lions Club to run an anti-drug programme in schools.

"Instead of just doing two programmes, they did five. I've seen how working together with non-governmental organisations that have an interest in these issues can multiply the effect," she said.

Other pillars in Jannie's manifesto centre on empowering youths and women through entrepreneurship, strengthening local markets and essential services, enhancing support for vulnerable groups, and increasing women's representation in local development.

Jannie will be facing a 13-cornered fight for the constituency of about 50,000 voters, the highest electorate in Sabah.