YOURSAY | ‘Politicians having done nothing but generate hate and disunity for the past 62 years…’.

Transforming Malaysia into a clean and sustainable nation

Sarawak 4 Malaysian: It is good that the Pakatan Harapan government is taking steps to ensure a cleaner environment for everyone.

The National Cleanliness Policy should not be a mere campaign for publicity or to make money for the event organisers. The authorities should engage the public to ensure Malaysia turns into a clean and sustainable nation.

To ensure recycling of plastic bottles, a deposit should be collected upon every purchase of a product in a plastic bottle. The deposit will be refunded when the consumer hands in the bottle at designated recycling machines or centres.

This will guarantee not many plastic bottles will be thrown away to accumulate at rubbish dumps.

Germany introduced such an initiative 15 years ago. Today, many developed countries adopt the strategy. It is a simple yet effective way to stop people from creating more plastic waste.

Anonymous 1529214566: Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman had some time ago picked rubbish inside a stadium after a football match.

His action earned plenty of plaudits, but unfortunately, it turned out to be a one-off incident and the excitement and awareness fizzled out shortly after.

If there is to be a concerted effort to make Malaysia cleaner, it will take more than a one-off National Cleanliness Policy plan to achieve the goal.

And the project needs to take off immediately before the ‘Visit Malaysia Tourism Year 2020’ kicks off in less than two months.

Fair Minded Senior Citizen: Before the National Cleanliness Policy alters the habits and lifestyles of Malaysians to embrace hygienic living, Malaysians must first clean their souls and minds.

All sorts of discrimination and the use of race and religion to undermine unity must first be rejected by our politicians before they talk of getting rid of the rubbish in our midst.

The Analyser: There are inherent weaknesses in Malaysian society which leads to a culture of negligence and irresponsibility.

And no programme with five clusters and 14 comprehensive strategies will have any impact on the country’s overall cleanliness when what is needed is a total change in attitude.

Firstly, the public must start thinking and acting like Malaysians with some pride in their nation. Then there is a need to generate respect. Respect for others, respect for the law, respect for the environment.

When Malaysians don’t even respect themselves, then the authorities have got an uphill battle before they can even start instilling proper values.

And with politicians having done nothing but generate hate and disunity for the past 62 years, then this nation of squatters living in a land called Malaysia is never going to gain any pride or respect.

Malaya: Will the National Cleanliness Policy be a success?

For a major project which is meant to change the way the entire country thinks and acts, Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin is not the person to implement it.

She is known for shirking her responsibilities as the PKR vice-president by being absent from party meetings.

Zuraida needs to show good leadership before expecting others to follow and support her project.

Help provided for Malaysian couple on trial in Norway - Wisma Putra

Pokok Kelapa: Norway has their own way of life and a set of rules and regulations that is very different from Malaysia and the Malaysian family living there has to follow them.

The child has made a report against the parents and the government there has classified it as a child abuse case in accordance with their laws.

It is unlike here where child abuse in certain circumstances is sort of accepted by some, for example, caning.

In addition, a Muslim in many non-Muslim countries is not compelled to fast during the fasting month. But if he or she is caught in a country where it is an offence, they would have to face the syariah law and the consequences.

The same concept is applied in Norway and therefore our government should not get involved in this case.

Oriole: This is called selective compassion. This crime against the child has been classified as child abuse under Norwegian laws but we are sending help to the family? On what basis may I ask?

What is Wisma Putra is doing about the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) charges against ethnic Indians in this country?

Has any other country found LTTE to be a threat? What sort of games is this government playing against a powerless minority?

Why is this group not offered lawyers domestically to argue these hogwash charges but the same government is helping parents who allegedly abuse their own children in another country?

Solo: Norway’s child protective service, Barnevernet, is known notoriously for aggressive actions against suspected parents.

Parents from other countries have been caught in this vicious cycle. They have been reported to the European Court of Human Rights for illegally taking children from their parents.

This may have stemmed from an incident in 2008 when a child was killed by an abusive parent.

Newday: Why does the government choose to quote human rights conventions like Vienna Convention at their convenience when it suits and chooses to ignore other UN conventions on human rights?

Why so selective? What is the point it is trying to make?

Quigonbond: I hope this help is extended to all Malaysians in trouble overseas and not just because this is another politically convenient agenda.

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