ALOR STAR: More than 5,000 residents in the Desa Kedah Regional Development Authority (Keda) settlements are expected to benefit from the Keda Territory Solid Waste Management Project (Spike) .
Keda chairman Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said the agency is the first agency under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry to successfully execute such projects.
He said Keda has allocated RM674,000 for the pilot project involving 12 Desa Keda settlements as pioneer locations.
"We aim to instil a new culture, specifically in cleanliness management, particularly concerning waste disposal. Typically, food waste ends up behind or beside our homes or even along riverbanks.
"It is our collective responsibility to preserve the environment," he said during a press conference after the Spike launch at Desa Keda Seberang Paya Kerchut, here, today.
Also present were Keda general manager Ismasuhaimi Shariff and Green Resources Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Muhammad Syafiq Zuki.
Meanwhile, Jamil said the agency aims to expand Spike to 20 to 25 settlements within Keda territories in the upcoming Malaysian plan, depending on the success of the pilot project.
"Thanks to collaborative agencies such as the Department of Environment, SWCorp, E-Idaman, and Green Resources Sdn Bhd for sharing expertise with the residents of Keda settlements.
"I hope the residents make use of the shared knowledge and apply it in their daily lives. This is one form of harmony that we can build," he added.