KK & Sabah News-Flash

Book of Environmental Terms Out

A book of environmental terms and abbreviations was recently published by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Malaysia that will be used in the State.  The “Environmental Jargons and Abbreviations” includes terms and their corresponding definitions used in the conservation of the environment so that these will be understood even by ordinary people.  The book also includes definitions of protected areas and forest reserve classes.

WWF Malaysia Chief Executive Officer Datuk Dr Dionysius Sharma said that it was an outcome of the Environmental Writing Workshop for journalists and bloggers held in Kinabatangan two years ago.  A participant having difficulties understanding the terms used in articles about the environment made a suggestion to create a list of such terms and their definitions.

Dr. Sharma added that through this book, the people will be more active in environmental issues because they have a better understanding of what is happening around them.

The book is given free for those in the academe, including students, and the media while others can have a copy of it for an affordable token donation.  The office of WWF Malaysia is located at the Center Point Complex and the person assigned is Brian Richard (brian.richard@wwf.org.my).

Solve Flooding at Kota Belud by Deepening of Rivers

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan announced that the government is doing its best to solve the flooding issues besetting Kota Belud.  Abdul Rahman is also a member of parliament of the district and said that one of the solutions is to deepen the rivers which have become shallow as a result of heavy siltation.

Abdul Rahman said that most of the rivers running through Kota Belud are from the foot of Mount Kinabalu.  Debris, rocks and soil flow down the rivers resulting in the rise of the riverbed downstream.  Because of this, the rivers are shallow and affect water flow during heavy rains and cause the floods that are becoming more frequent in Kota Belud.

Their first target is the deepening of Sungai Tempasuk which is expected to cost more than RM50 million.

Airbnb Illegal in Sabah

Sabah Law Society lawyer Christopher Chin recently made an announcement that it is illegal for Sabah residents to lease their residential units through Airbnb.  Operators in a state should make sure that Airbnb is allowed to operate legally in that location since it is a commercial activity because of its short-term use, no exclusive possession and non-tenancy utilization of the unit.

In Kota Kinabalu, a building can qualify for Airbnb’s operations if it is designed for commercial use included in the Development Plan (DP) and complied with the requirements of the Fire Department.

Sally Edward Ghani of the Building Plan Section at the Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) said that for now, Airbnb’s operations are suspended in the state but they are working on the guidelines to make it legal.

An article in a major newspaper in the state recently reported that Airbnb’s operations were banned in major cities in Asia and Europe.