BELAGA: Innovative, sustainable, and filled with heartfelt love for the state, these are the values reflected by the community of Uma Daro Liling Padong (UDLP), who successfully created a replica of the Sarawak Flag using 880 used plastic bottles.

The project was carried out in conjunction with the Sarawak Day 2025 celebration and the community’s participation in the Anugerah Desa Madani (ADM) 2025.

This creative initiative, fully led by the UDLP Women’s Bureau, not only highlights the ingenuity of a rural community but also delivers a clear message on the importance of environmental sustainability and practising a greener lifestyle through recycling.
Deputy Minister for Utility and Telecommunication, who is also the Belaga Assemblyman, Datuk Liwan Lagang, praised the effort, saying it reflects the community’s deep love for Sarawak and their concern for environmental preservation.

“Their innovative work in producing this replica of the Sarawak Flag is truly impressive and reflects their love and loyalty for the state.

“The effort to beautify and maintain the cleanliness of the longhouse environment deserves recognition, as it creates a healthy atmosphere and instils the value of cleanliness in the younger generation.

“Education begins at home with the family. This too is a form of patriotism. Congratulations and well done to the mothers of UDLP,” he said.

Meanwhile, UDLP Women’s Bureau Chairperson Alice Laing shared that the process of creating the replica took nearly a week. It began with collecting, cleaning, and painting the bottles in the official colours of the Sarawak Flag before arranging them into a large-scale structure.

“We chose to use recycled plastic bottles as the main material to demonstrate that what is often considered waste can actually have great potential when creatively repurposed.

“Beyond enlivening the Sarawak Day celebration, this initiative also serves as a platform for community education on the importance of recycling practices,” she explained.

She added that the project also contributes to informal education among residents, particularly the younger generation, by nurturing environmental awareness and cultivating a love for the state.

At the same time, Village Chief (Maren Uma) Huvang Liah described the initiative as a catalyst for raising awareness among villagers about the importance of environmental conservation.

“Using discarded bottles to create this flag sends a clear message to the community about the role of recycling in daily life.
“It also helps reduce material waste and shows that with a little creativity, discarded items can be given a new lease of life.
“Furthermore, it symbolises the community’s patriotic spirit in celebrating Sarawak Day on 22 July, while demonstrating their readiness ahead of the ADM evaluations,” he added. -UKASnews