“It’s not easy being green,” sang Kermit the Frog, it hasn’t been for Penang either, and the state once dubbed the “rubbish bin of the Orient” by a former prime minister has struggled to live down this label. A brand new state government-led initiative was recently launched to restore some much needed civic-mindedness. After decades of public lament and indifference, Penangites are being called out to put some pride back into the state.
The Cleaner Greener Penang Initiative is meant to deliver a cleaner and greener city, and improve the quality of life for Penangites through a tripartite arrangement involving the government, corporate sector and community. According to State Local Government and Traffic Management Committee chairman, Chow Kon Yeow, “Previous campaigns have failed to eradicate Penang’s dirty image. Rather than calling this a campaign which inevitably places the burden of responsibility on Council workers I prefer the word ‘initiative’ which suggests that all Penangites should be involved. Yes the state government will take the lead but mindsets have to change and this must be a people-centric, long-term project.”
The initiative has laid out four key result areas:
1. Creating cleaner and greener neighbourhoods;
2. Achieving waste minimisation through the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle);
3. Transforming mindsets towards responsible citizenship; and
4. Empowering and building community structure for sustainable living.
