KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 58,007 Malaysians were part of a 12-hour gotong-royong to clean up public spaces in the country.
The mega cleaning and community service programme, which was held yesterday at 649 locations nationwide, involved clearing illegal dumps, and street and drain cleaning.
It is part of the Malaysia Clean-Up Day: Mega Cleaning Programme, held to mark World Clean-Up Day on Sept 20.
This involved various levels of organisations, including state governments, local authorities, ministries, schools, fire stations, PR1MA Residences, People’s Housing Projects (PPR), public parks, neighbourhoods, and non-governmental organisations.
It was a joint initiative by the Housing and Local Government Ministry, the Federal Territories Department, and Kuala Lumpur City Hall with strategic cooperation from PR1MA Corporation Malaysia and Malakoff Corporation Bhd through Alam Flora Sdn Bhd.
“Our activities go beyond just picking up litter; we also aim to cultivate a culture of environmental awareness and collective public cleanliness,” said Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming.
He said that World Clean-up Day should not be seen merely as an annual event but rather be incorporated into the people’s daily lives to ensure the environment is always clean.
“The litter we see discarded in public places such as streets, beaches, forests, and surroundings is an unhealthy symptom indicative of a larger underlying issue, namely, the attitude of some members of our society who still lack awareness and take cleanliness lightly,” he added.
The ministry is aiming for entries into the Malaysia Book of Records for the largest, simultaneous participation nationwide in an event, the biggest waste collection, and the longest duration of a gotong-royong lasting 12 hours from 8am to 8pm.
