GOMBAK: Managing almost 15 million tonnes of solid waste and cleaning of public spaces comes at a cost of about RM2bil annually for the Federal Government, said Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming (pic).
He said the amount of waste is projected to rise to 17 million tonnes by 2035 and the increase would have significant financial and environmental implications if current waste management practices continued.
"This does not include the annual costs of managing waste by local councils. A clean Malaysia cannot be built by the government alone. It requires a sense of responsibility from every citizen,” Nga said after launching the national-level HCM 2026 at Pasar Taman Sri Gombak here on Saturday (Sept 26) morning.
He said Malaysia Cleanup Day (HCM) 2026 was aimed at encouraging Malaysians to make cleanliness, waste separation and recycling part of their daily lives.
The HCM, held for the third consecutive year, was carried out simultaneously at 469 locations nationwide with a target of 200,000 participants and the collection of 28,000kg of recyclable materials in a single day.
The two targets are also being pursued as new Malaysia Book of Records entries.
Nga said the HCM which was introduced in 2024 had grown from 58,007 participants in its first year to more than 100,000 participants last year.
He said the campaign should not be viewed merely as a one-day gotong-royong but as a platform to change public attitudes towards cleanliness, waste management and recycling.
He said this year’s campaign also involves 10,000 schools nationwide, with students’ participation recognised under the Physical, Sports and Co-curriculum Assessment (PAJSK).
Nga said the initiative was part of the government’s wider public cleaning and environmental sustainability reforms, including efforts to reduce single-use plastics, promote recycling and encourage responsible waste management.
He said the new legal framework for minor littering offences that was introduced in January had also strengthened public responsibility towards cleanliness.
Nga said as of Aug 31, 15,678 notices of offence had been issued while 599 individuals had been ordered by the courts to perform community service.
