The Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) has announced a bounty of RM2 (approximately S$0.60) for every rat caught within city limits until 31 July, as part of a national campaign to tackle rodent infestations. This initiative, reported by The Star, forms part of a Malaysia-wide effort involving 10 local councils and is spearheaded by the Malaysian Housing and Local Government Ministry.
Kota Kinabalu represents Sabah in this campaign, which aims to reduce rat populations, especially in public markets where rodent activity poses significant health risks. Officials aim to achieve a Rodent Index of one or lower, a metric that estimates rat density using trapping data collected over seven days with 12 live traps.
Cleaning Up the City and Raising Awareness
Kota Kinabalu Mayor Datuk Seri Dr Sabin Samitah highlighted that this is not the first time such a campaign has been organised. In 2023, 1,299 rats were exterminated, while 775 were caught in the first half of 2024. In 2025 so far, 528 rats have been eliminated city-wide, including 187 caught at the Kota Kinabalu Central Market.
This campaign aligns with DBKK’s mission to make Kota Kinabalu a safer and cleaner city. Alongside rat-catching efforts, the initiative includes communal clean-ups at the Central Market, stall cleanliness competitions, and rat-catching contests offering cash prizes.
Health Risks and Community Involvement
Dr Sabin warned of serious health risks posed by rats, such as leptospirosis, a bacterial infection spread through water or food contaminated by rat urine. He emphasised that public awareness is key to controlling infestations.
Local authorities will follow rat control guidelines and encourage residents to participate, aiming to improve environmental hygiene and foster friendly competition between councils to see which can catch the most rats.