Kota Kinabalu: More than 2,000 kilogrammes (kg) of used cooking oil were collected through a school-level competition involving 13 schools across the city, including Penampang and Tanjong Aru as part of efforts to promote recycling and environmental awareness among students.
The Used Cooking Oil (UCO) Collection Competition was organised by the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities (KPK) in collaboration with City Hall (DBKK) and Junior Chamber International (JCI) KK Branch.
The programme aims to cultivate civic consciousness and sustainable habits among students while highlighting the potential of UCO as a raw material for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
Deputy Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin said the initiative was the first of its kind in Sabah, which proved that education and awareness efforts at the school level could make a real impact.
“Collecting more than 2,000kg of UCO within just two months shows that environmental education in schools can bring a huge impact to the community,” he said at the closing and prize presentation ceremony in here, Monday.
“This is not just about recycling, but a reflection of community commitment in supporting the nation’s direction toward sustainable energy generation.”
In the primary school category, SJKC Chung Hwa Likas emerged champion with 420kg, followed by SK St. Francis Convent (192kg) and SK Kepayan (170.85kg).
Meanwhile, for secondary school category, SMK Sanzac topped the list with 392.5kg, while SMK Tshung Tsin and SMJK Shan Tao shared second place with 113.5kg each.
Chan also highlighted that UCO now carries increasing economic value, particularly as a major raw material for producing SAF in line with the National Agri-Commodity Policy 2030 (DAKN2030), which focuses on high-value and low-carbon development.
He noted that according to the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), Sabah collected only around 5,200 tonnes of UCO in 2024, which is less than 1.5 per cent of Malaysia’s total of 380,000 tonnes.
“We hope initiatives like this can serve as a catalyst to increase UCO collection rates in Sabah.
“More schools, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and local communities should take part in managing used cooking oil effectively.
“This not only provides economic benefits and extra household income but also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and environmental pollution,” he said.
Chan emphasised that households and schools could work with licensed collection vendors such as Arus Oil, as well as DBKK, to ensure proper and safe collection processes.
“Programmes like this prove that small actions at the community level can make a big difference for Malaysia’s sustainable energy future.
“Let’s strengthen our recycling culture for the well-being of our people and the sustainability of our planet,” he said.
Also present were the Deputy Minister’s Private Secretary Lee Cheng Wei, DBKK Solid Waste Management Department Director Leong Tze Fui and JCI Malaysia Executive Vice President cum JCI Sabah Chairman Dr Jeremy Tong.
