A SHORT video highlighting the importance of keeping the environment clean to prevent rodent infestation, helped a group of five students from SMK Bandar Sri Damansara 1 win an award from Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ).
Form Two student Khalis Rafiqi Abdul Fattah said the idea for the one-minute social media video came after a brainstorming session with his teammates.
“Besides using clips from online sources, we also went to a shopping area near our school to capture additional footage.
“What we learned from this project is that rats are ‘bad news’ for humans and the environment,” he said.
His teammates were Iman Szill Shafikullah, Nur Khairunnisa Mohd Khairulamin, Mizah Nur Fathmah Mohamed and K. Sai Shanmuganathan. They won RM500 in the TikTok category.
The contest was part of the city council’s “Rat Infestation Eradication Campaign 2026”, held in conjunction with the 2026 Local Authority Environmental Health Campaign Programme organised by Housing and Local Government Ministry.
The campaign, which ran from April to June, involved market traders and students from secondary schools across the city to promote greater public awareness.
The e-poster category was won by Muhamad Zuhair Mohd Nazri, 16, from SMK Sultan Abdul Samad.
“Based on my research, rats are very prolific breeders and can produce up to 10 offspring each time.
“They also carry many pathogens that are dangerous to humans,” he said.
Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohamad Zahri Samingon said the campaign reflected MBPJ’s commitment to rodent control while ensuring a cleaner and safer environment.
“We received 54 rodent infestation complaints in 2024, which increased to 65 in 2025.
“As of June this year, we have recorded 44 complaints.
“This calls for stronger preventive measures and a more holistic approach to rodent control,” he said during the prize-giving ceremony at PJ Kita Market @ Jalan Othman.
MBPJ Health assistant director Mahzura Mohd Amin said 100 rat and glue traps were placed at Pasar Jalan Othman last month, resulting in 17 rodents being caught.
“This indicates the infestation is currently under control.
“However, rodents can multiply quickly if cleanliness is neglected.
“Traders must keep their premises clean, while the public should report any infestations to MBPJ,” she said.
Mahzura said Pasar Jalan Othman, the city’s oldest market, had faced rodent problems due to its ageing infrastructure and poor hygiene practices.
Authorities have since banned the keeping and slaughtering of livestock at markets, helping to improve cleanliness and reduce rodent infestation.
Mahzura added that the ministry’s programme focused on seven areas: rodent control, clean food courts, dengue and fly infestation prevention, clean public toilets, night market cleanliness, public market cleanliness, and stray animal control.
MBPJ Enforcement director Mohd Fauzi Maarop said announcements on cleanliness were regularly broadcast through the market’s public address system, and the market was closed every Monday for cleaning.
He added that MBPJ was also closely monitoring cleanliness at the Section 14 market, Pasar Seri Setia in SS 9a/1 and Pasar Kampung Chempaka in PJU 1/5.
