SEMPORNA Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal has pushed back against remarks by Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming, who recently urged him to ensure Semporna does not become the “dirtiest town in Asia.”
Nga had said this after a video on the east coast district went viral.
Shafie said that keeping towns clean is not the role of MPs but a responsibility of local councils and state authorities when responding to Nga who also happens to be the federal level minister in charge of such matters.
“The responsibility for waste management and maintaining town cleanliness does not fall on MPs.
It is the duty of district councils under the Sabah Local Government and Housing Ministry,” he told reporters during a press conference at the party headquarters in Kota Kinabalu on Thursday.
Nga, citing viral tourist videos and in light of Visit Malaysia 2026, said it was Shafie’s duty as a long-serving MP to “go down to the ground” and monitor the town’s cleanliness.
He stressed that maintaining the town’s image was not only the Federal Government’s duty but also that of local representatives.
Like the federal government, Sabah also has its own Local Government and Housing Ministry portfolio, which supervises councils in the various districts.
Under Malaysia’s administrative system, cleanliness and waste management are the responsibility of local councils operating under such a ministry.
It is noted that Nga had based his remarks on a TikTok post by foreign travel vlogger Backpacker Ben, who complained about the stench, filth, and the lack of dustbins in a Semporna water village.
It was unclear why Nga singled out Shafie, who is a federal and a state lawmaker. However, Shafie who is the Senallang state assemblyman and Sabah’s opposition leader.
Nga’s comments came as the state election fever is heating up following the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly on October 6.
Shafie’s Warisan is set to go up against Pakatan Harapan’s DAP in the polls, in which Nga serves as the party’s national deputy chairman.
Meanwhile, Shafie argued that the issue should not be reduced to Semporna alone.
“This is not just about Semporna. Pulau Gaya, Sandakan, Batu Sapi — many places face the same challenge. Waste also drifts in from other districts.
“That is why solutions require coordinated policy, proper enforcement, and adequate funding, not just blaming one constituency.”
Shafie said he was prepared to cooperate to protect Sabah’s tourism image, but stressed that the focus should be on collaboration between federal and state ministries with local authorities rather than targeting MPs.
“Instead of pointing fingers, the federal minister should work closely with his state counterpart in Sabah to ensure the system functions,” he said.
In another development, Warisan today welcomed 12 former senior district officers as new members.
Among them was former Semporna district officer Bianus Kontong, who defended Shafie against Nga’s criticism, saying there had been various initiatives to improve the district’s cleanliness, such as the “Sabah Bebas Sampah” campaign.
Bianus served as district officer during the Warisan-led Sabah government between 2018 and 2020.
At the time, litterbugs faced penalties including a RM50 fine or being forced to wear a vest labelled “Trash Monkey” while cleaning rubbish off the streets, he added.
Warisan has seen an influx of hundreds of new members in recent months, including senior politicians such as former Umno stalwart, ex-minister and Keningau assemblyman Sairin Karno, as well as politically linked figures like Edna Majimbun, the daughter of former Sepanggar MP Eric Majimbun. - October 9, 2025
