The winners and visitors at the MPAJ Environment Day event held at Menara MPAJ. — GLENN GUAN/The Star
Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) celebrated Environment Day after a three-year hiatus at Menara MPAJ in Ampang, Selangor.
The programme was to express gratitude to the community and schools that had contributed to preserving the environment by joining the council’s competitions in the collection of used cooking oil and electronic waste.
The competitions took place last year from April 1 until Dec 31, drawing 47 entries from communities and schools.
At the event, MPAJ president Mohd Fauzi Mohd Yatim said 9,014kg of used cooking oil and 12,110kg of ewaste were collected.
He highlighted that MPAJ had set up a number of collection centres for used cooking oil and ewaste.
The used cooking oil collection centres are at Masjid Al Ansar in Taman Keramat AU2, Kebun Komuniti Friend of Sungai Ampang (FoSA), Masjid Ubudiah in Taman Tasik Tambahan, Masjid Bukit Antarabangsa, Kenanga Apartments in Taman Putra Sulaiman, Surau Al-Ittifaq in Keramat AU1, JMB management office at Anggerik Apartments, PKNS AU3/1 Flat in Taman Keramat (Block L7) and Dewan Kecil in Taman Mulia Jay.
The ewaste collection centres are at Menara MPAJ and Muhibbah Community Complex.
Fauzi said the used cooking oil collection centres that were licensed under Selangor State Secretary (SUK) had collected 9,972kg of cooking oil.
The ewaste collection centres licensed under the Environment Department had collected 11,521kg.
Selangor tourism, environment, green technology and Orang Asli affairs committee chairman Hee Loy Sian said an increased population and rapid development of areas had resulted in more solid waste which contributed to pollution.
“Among the measures taken by the state are a ban on the use of polystyrene and a policy on single-use plastic bags,” he added.
In the competition, three winners were selected from each of the categories – primary schools, secondary schools and residents groups. They received RM1,000, RM750 and RM500 for first, second and third placings respectively. The other participants received a token of appreciation during the event.
The finalists were SK Ampang, SJK Tamil Ampang, SK Seri Al-Amin Keramat, SK Tasek Permai, SJK (T) Taman Melati, SMK Seri Keramat, SMK Bukit Indah, SMK Taman Kosas, SMK Hulu Kelang and SMK Taman Keramat, while the residents groups were from Taman Bukit Indah, Taman Sierra Ukay, Taman Dagang and JKP Zone 14.
SMK Bukit Indah science teacher Nan Aini Muhammad Tahir, who encouraged her students to join the competition, said, “The students must be taught how to love and care for the environment.”
MPAJ also plans to implement a controlled disposal system for fat, oil and grease.
