By Olivia Miwil
SEMPORNA: The villagers here have removed 827.3kg of waste from their village and surrounding waters through a recent community-led clean-up.
The effort was part of a pilot community-based waste management system implemented by Reef Check Malaysia with the Kampung Sri Aman Village Committee.
Funded by Etika Sdn Bhd and supported by the Semporna District Council and the state Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry, the initiative involved 53 community members, including men, women and children.
Residents collected 476.5kg of waste from public areas, mainly plastic packaging and bottles.
The team also worked with waste management company AMWIL, which deployed boats to collect floating debris from surrounding waters, removing another 350.8kg of waste comprising discarded cloth, rubber mats and other bulky materials.
Village head Hassan Gabra Hajan said the community planned to conduct the gotong-royong monthly to complement the existing waste collection system.
"Waste management is not simply about collecting rubbish; it is about building community ownership, changing behaviour and creating systems that local people can sustain themselves.
"Kampung Sri Aman is demonstrating that when communities are empowered with the right support and leadership, they can become the driving force behind solving long-standing issues such as waste management," he said in a statement.
Reef Check Malaysia said the initiative showed how partnerships between communities, local authorities, government agencies and the private sector could help reduce waste leakage into the ocean and strengthen local stewardship.
The organisation hopes the model can inspire similar community-led waste management efforts in coastal villages across Semporna and Sabah.
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