TO MARK Hari Cuci Malaysia (National Cleanup Day) and World Rivers Day, 300 volunteers came together to spruce up PPR Lembah Subang 1 public housing scheme in Petaling Jaya.
It was organised by OSK Foundation in collaboration with the Global Environment Centre (GEC), Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT), Petaling District Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID Petaling) and the PPR Lembah Subang 1 neighbourhood group (KRT).
It saw the participation of the community, OSK Group employees, government agency and non-governmental organisation (NGO) representatives.
The cleanup involved the drains, a park and carpark, the painting of a mural and railings, as well as waste separation, all aimed at promoting a cleaner, healthier and sustainable environment.
There were also activities for the young to raise awareness about cleanliness.
It was launched by Petaling Jaya mayor Mohamad Zahri Samingon.
By day’s end, 347kg of rubbish was cleared from the common areas and drains, 120m stretch of railing around the monsoon drain was painted and 10 categories of waste were audited for better recycling and waste management.
In line with the United Nations World Cleanup Day, the Hari Cuci Malaysia by KPKT addressed the escalating issue of waste pollution.
“Hopefully, this activity will inspire us to put in genuine effort to avoid polluting our waterbodies to safeguard the river ecosystem and ensure better water flow,” said Mohamad Zahri.
OSK Foundation chief executive officer Cheryl Ong said, “We are grateful to our fellow employees, GEC, volunteers, partners and the PPR Lembah Subang 1 community for coming together with such spirit and energy.
“It is only through these collective efforts that we can create cleaner, healthier spaces for everyone to enjoy.”
GEC River Care programme manager Dr Kalithasan Kailasam commended OSK Foundation, KPKT, MBPJ and DID Petaling, as well as the volunteers and PPR community for their enthusiasm in this initiative.
“GEC has long been at the forefront of championing partnerships for the environment across all stakeholders.
“Today’s event is yet another fine example of why this is important to drive long-term sustainability in our efforts.
“We hope that everyone will take the cue to replicate these efforts and aim for more regular cleanup activities – not just here but in our own neighbourhoods and elsewhere in need of support,” he said.
Hari Cuci Malaysia 2025 was a nationwide mega cleanup programme based on the concept of gotong-royong (community teamwork).
It set two records for The Largest Gotong-Royong Participation involving 100,817 participants nationwide and The Most Used Cooking Oil Collected in a Single Day totalling 27,679.31kg and valued at RM79,684.56.
