SUBANG JAYA, August 23: The MPSJ President, Datuk Asmawi Kasbi, together with the Mayor of Hioki, Yoshinori Kozono, celebrated the one year anniversary of the ties between the two regions.
Yoshinori with a delegation of 12 people from the Kagoshima prefecture, Japan, visited MPSJ in a return visit for a week beginning 21 August to 29 August.
“We have learned much knowledge and experience from Hioki in city administration, particularly in waste management,” said Asmawi at the ceremony which was held simultaneously with the signing of the MOU with three synergy friends of MPSJ.
MPSJ spends RM60 million a year to manage domestic waste as well works involving grass-cutting and the cleaning of rubbish in urban areas.
“If our efforts manage to form a community of thought, they can manage waste properly, and we can channel the savings from the cost of waste management to infrastructure development and so on,” explained Asmawi.
Hioki has been the twin city of MPSJ through the Friendship City programme since August 28, 2012. Hioki City, with a population of 51,819 people at a density of 205 people per square kilometer, was founded on May 1, 2005, from the merger of four towns — Fukiage, Higashiichiki, Hiyoshi and Ijuin.
“We will share our experiences by providing accurate information. What is important is community awareness about the importance of waste management,” said Yoshinori.
To ensure that the smart partnership between MPSJ and Hioki is always close, MPSJ has established a MPSJ-Hioki Joint Centre at the Ground Floor of the 3C Complex.
The joint venture centre, among others, serves as a reference centre in the sharing of knowledge, skills and culture.