COMMENT | Stop being a trashy society
COMMENT | Litter is any kind of trash thrown in small amounts where it does not belong. With time, it piles into heaps. Trash typically comprises fast-food packaging, cigarette butts, used plastic drink bottles, cans, wrappers, old broken furniture, used mattresses, broken computer parts, toys, empty cardboard boxes and food scraps.
In a country like Malaysia, the climate is hot and humid, so trash often becomes putrid, and the stench becomes unbearable within days. Stray dogs and cats scatter trash around urban and suburban neighbourhoods, so the radius of the eyesore increases within days of it being dumped.
Littering is also the practice of throwing items from a moving vehicle, at which Malaysians are very adept. It has been my experience, on many occasions, whereby on seeing litter flying out of a moving car or motorbike, the explanation given is, “must be an ‘Indon’ or foreign worker”. It is clear that Malaysians are embarrassed and in denial. They deny their despicable behaviour and are quick to blame others.
This time, rather than blaming the leadership, I want to take issue with ordinary Malaysians. I want to focus on the public. I need to reprimand regular citizens who could not care less about their surroundings. These are middle-class members of the public, who disregard the communities in which they live...
COMMENT | Litter is any kind of trash thrown in small amounts where it does not belong. With time, it piles into heaps. Trash typically comprises fast-food packaging, cigarette butts, used plastic drink bottles, cans, wrappers, old broken furniture, used mattresses, broken computer parts, toys, empty cardboard boxes and food scraps.
In a country like Malaysia, the climate is hot and humid, so trash often becomes putrid, and the stench becomes unbearable within days. Stray dogs and cats scatter trash around urban and suburban neighbourhoods, so the radius of the eyesore increases within days of it being dumped.
Littering is also the practice of throwing items from a moving vehicle, at which Malaysians are very adept. It has been my experience, on many occasions, whereby on seeing litter flying out of a moving car or motorbike, the explanation given is, “must be an ‘Indon’ or foreign worker”. It is clear that Malaysians are embarrassed and in denial. They deny their despicable behaviour and are quick to blame others.
This time, rather than blaming the leadership, I want to take issue with ordinary Malaysians. I want to focus on the public. I need to reprimand regular citizens who could not care less about their surroundings. These are middle-class members of the public, who disregard the communities in which they live, and who disrespect the environs.
I am annoyed with all of you who think nothing of throwing your garbage around the neighbourhoods in which you live. How selfish of you to think that, so long as it is outside your house compound, you can do as you please. I take issue with your lack of civic-mindedness and your selfish acts.
In many countries, it is unlawful to litter for a number of reasons. It costs municipalities millions in clean-up costs. Of course, this is assuming state district officers and municipalities are efficient, respect their job, are civic-minded and value the environment. It is expected that litter is cleaned up regularly and thoroughly.
In many Selangor neighbourhoods, for instance, the garbage truck comes about three times a week to clear household trash. At least twice a month in my neighbourhood, the municipal council also clears garden waste, and discarded cut grass, dried leaves and tree branches left by homeowners. They also cut the grass in public spaces, along sidewalks and playgrounds, regularly.
This opinion piece is not about unsustainable household consumption, nor is it about our indifference towards recycling. I do realise that these too are big problems that need serious attention. But concerned Malaysians have been addressing it for decades, and there seems to be very little impact on policy. Admittedly, leaders must play an influential role. This, however, is a topic for another opinion piece.
The National Council of Women’s Organisations Malaysia (NCWO) has an Environment Commission. In 2004, it was chaired by my late mother, Zaharah Alatas. In January of 2004, she wrote a letter to The Star newspaper. She appealed to the then prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to focus more on recycling, and to take the garbage menace, seriously.
Part of what my mother wrote was: “Somebody once said: ‘You have got to love them before you can lead them. When you love your followers genuinely and correctly, they’ll respect and follow you through many changes. When followers don’t like the leader who oversees the change, their feelings won’t allow them to look at the change objectively. In other words, people view the change according to the way they view the change agent.’”
Zaharah Alatas probably meant that if leaders lead by example, the public will adapt and change their behaviour. It is a matter of respecting and trusting our leaders, as well as looking up to authorities who care for the welfare of the citizens they serve.
I would like to add that the people too are responsible, irrespective of leaders. Currently, the public appears to be less concerned and overly flippant about the environment. It is similar to the current surge in Covid-19 infections and deaths. We cannot keep blaming the government when the masses are equally nonchalant, stubborn and irresponsible in following SOPs.
When it comes to rubbish, the public has filthy habits and attitudes. They contribute to the disgusting piles of garbage I see on a daily basis, where I live. And I am sure I am speaking for many other concerned individuals in many other neighbourhoods throughout Malaysia.
It seems that so many Malaysians do not really care that they live amidst the swill they themselves create. While our leaders should strive to clean up Malaysia (of trash and corruption), the public should be on their own trajectory to keep Malaysia clean and litter-free.
Are we not capable of basic values that prevent us from tossing our filth around indiscriminately? We all live in communities. We are all reasonably educated, enough to know that littering is wrong. Right? One does not need a university degree to understand the basics of community living. All one needs is a sense of concern for others, a love of the environment and a sense of shame. We keep accusing our politicians of their lack of shame.
What about us?
Every morning, I brisk walk around my neighbourhood, a sprawling middle-class community in Beranang, Selangor. It even has a huge man-made lake. It could have been beautified more and treated with extra tender loving care, but at least it is still relatively clean. I look forward to my daily exercise. I diligently walk along the quiet and wide streets at 7am, sometimes earlier. There is hardly any traffic. I cover a radius of about 7km, which takes about one hour.
During this hour, my walk is regularly and rudely punctuated with piles of garbage, surreptitiously tucked away from the main street, on side roads. It is prominent enough to be seen and smelt, amidst extensive tree growth that lines the streets. What should be a pleasant daily morning activity, due to the lush vegetation and the chirping of birds, always becomes a revolting and disgusting grind at the end of the hour.
The trash and stench are unbecoming. One would think the inhabitants of most middle-class, urban and suburban neighbourhoods in Malaysia have evolved into decent citizens.
After all, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad envisioned “developed nation status” by 2020, did he not? Part of being developed is to be restrained in your urge to “dump and run”, is it not?
We are obviously a trashy society when we see nothing wrong with littering. Help the government help us. Let us stop throwing our garbage around, for all to sniff and see. It is rude and hurts the environment, on top of being insulting and embarrassing.
SHARIFAH MUNIRAH ALATAS is an academician with zero tolerance for corrupt, arrogant and frivolous leadership.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
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