Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ) plans to expand its rat eradication programme to other commercial areas after an operation saw 129 rats trapped at Olive Hill Business Park in Seri Kembangan, Selangor.
MBSJ councillor Tey Boon Kiat said the exercise followed numerous complaints from residents and traders, some of whom provided video footage of rats scurrying through the commercial area.
“We received a lot of complaints from residents and vendors who said there were a lot of rats here,” he said.
ALSO READ: Drains choked with grime, rodents
Tey said MBSJ Health Department had placed poisoned bait throughout the area a day prior to the physical eradication exercise.
“They laid the bait and the next day, we carried out the programme. We caught 129 rodents.”
He added that he would request the department continue the programme in the area at least twice a year.
Tey said in future, such operations would be extended to other commercial areas including the Seri Kembangan business centre.
Seri Kembangan assemblyman Wong Siew Ki said the infestation in commercial areas was closely linked to poor rubbish management, particularly the handling of food waste by eateries.
“The reason there are so many rats in commercial areas is due to how we handle our rubbish, especially by restaurants,” she said.
She urged business operators to manage waste more effectively, noting that eliminating rubbish piles would naturally reduce the rodent population.
Wong said illegal dumping of household waste nearby, especially in Bukit Serdang, had worsened the situation.
She said these were often not large dumpsites, but small amounts of rubbish left by the roadside that gradually piled up.
“If we collect the waste, people will think it is okay to throw rubbish there.
“If we do not collect it, they ask why we are not doing our jobs,” Wong said, adding that such habits created public health concerns.
She called on residents to be more responsible and civic-minded in disposing of their waste.
“Seri Kembangan needs not only an efficient local authority, but also a shift in community mindset.”
Wong suggested that community service penalties for littering and illegal dumping be expanded so that offenders are made to clean up the waste themselves.
She added that more local councils should consider carrying out similar rat eradication exercises, noting that while public participation in gotong-royong cleanups was often low, pest control campaigns appeared to garner more interest.
