Statistics

According to the Insolvency Department's figures for the last six years, starting from 2007 to April this year, Miri is ranked 15th for city with the most bankrupts. Neighboring cities Kuching and Sibu are ranked 12th and 18th.

At a recent bankruptcy seminar held in Kuching, it was mentioned that there "were" 13,000 bankrupts in the Sarawak, but it isn't clear on how many of those are within Miri, or whether they are now cleared of bankruptcy as past tense was used to describe the fact.

Financial ruin faced by bankrupts did not mean the end for them. They are not restricted in any way and can still borrow or travel abroad contrary to popular myth, but with a caveat - they need to inform the Insolvency Department so as to be given the chance to find a solution to their problems.

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Apparently, in today's news the "Say No to Plastic Bag" campaign conducted by Miri City Council (MCC) in September 2009 through participating supermarkets does not seem to have helped in reducing the total quantity of plastic bags produced by the participating supermarkets.

According to the statistic issued by the City Council, the total amount of plastic bags produced by the participating outlets has actually increased from 1,072,895 pieces in year 2010 to 1,779,406 pieces last year. As of November this year, the number is at 873,847, which seems to indicate a reduction for 2012.

There were also numerous complaints from the public that there were non-participating shopping outlets that had taken advantage of the campaign by charging plastic bags at RM0.20 each for their own profit. The RM0.20 collected for each plastic bag is supposed to go into charity, although there is no detail on this.

In my point of view, they have taken the approach of charging for plastic bags, instead of REDUCING the plastic bags as they should be doing, and this is exactly what will happen as a result!

Here's a small list of suggestions to tackle this problem more effectively:

- Encourage the use of paper bags or biodegradable plastic bags. Restrict plastic bags that are not degradable. Do not charge the bags.

- Encourage local manufacturers to reduce plastic packaging. This will automatically reduce plastic waste from top to bottom. The current system works from the wrong way, bottom up, which the consumers have to bear but not the manufacturers. This is actually very unfair.

- Stop using excuses that plastic bags choking birds or sea turtles because they mistake it for jellyfish - that is another problem altogether. It has everything to do with irresponsible people disposing of their trash in the sea/rivers, and completely unrelated to plastic bags. Fix the root cause - fine the people who liter the rivers and seas!

- What is not recorded is the people buying bundles of plastic bags for their trash. People are actually buying their own plastic bags because they don't get extra plastic bags nowadays. The actual plastic bag count may actually be even higher. In short: problem not solved!

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The air quality in Miri has declined to unhealthy levels with the Air Pollutant Index (API) readings between 160 and 180, which are the worst in the state and country. According to the Environment Department’s website, the readings recorded in Miri at 7am was 176, 11am (161) and 5pm (160) and the only place to record unhealthy air levels in the country yesterday.

A seven-day weather forecast by the Malaysian Meteorological Department showed that the dry weather would continue to persist with little chances of rain in Miri & Bintulu, at 0% and 40% chance of rain in the next few days.

The air pollution is caused by open burning and uncontrolled bush fires. Last Wednesday there was a huge plume of smoke caused by such burning in the areas somewhere near PermyJaya & Lutong. Due to location, it is unlikely the fire department can reach the area in time because it happened during peak hours and any Mirian will know just how congested that area can be.

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Department of Enviroment

The year ends with a statistics of dengue cases in Miri, with almost 90% decrease of dengue cases for the year 2011 compared to last year. The number of dengue cases are less than 10 cases per month by the end of November, with 93 cases compared to 746 cases in 2010. It is not known if these are confirmed cases or suspected cases.

When compared to 2007-2009 figures, 93 cases seemed fairly normal as the (missing) statistics of 2010 spike of 746 cases seemed like an anomaly.

See 2007-2009 figures

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