WE are lucky to be living in Bukit Jelutong, a lively and friendly neighbourhood of middle and upper class community in Selangor.
The Shah Alam City Council, without doubt, has been doing its task to upkeep our area. Household garbage and garden waste are regularly collected. The grass is cut and trees too are frequently trimmed.
Most of the owners generally keep their gardens well, while exotic trees and palms are maintained by a resident gardener and his team of workers.
Having said that, the general cleanliness of the common areas in our neighbourhood leaves much to be desired. There is litter everywhere. Plastic bottles, styrofoam food containers, empty cigarette boxes, face masks, plastic bags, you name it, even cotton buds.
I cannot imagine people driving and picking their ears, and throwing the cotton bud on the road. And we are living among the educated, but sadly some have no sense of cleanliness and civic- consciousness. Maybe it is not the adults who are littering but children.
It is the duty of parents to teach their children the importance of cleanliness and not to throw rubbish everywhere. If they do not do teach their children about cleanliness and hygiene, the children will never learn and ultimately, the society will not progress in terms of hygiene.
This brings me to the story of a remarkable woman in our neighbourhood who is a shining example of a citizen imbued with a sense of civic consciousness and compassion, even to animals.
Puan Liza, who is in her sixties, staying in Tropica Residence, would on most mornings go around with a plastic bag and hand-picker, collecting rubbish thrown by irresponsible people.
During her rounds, she would also bring food and water to feed a “resident” stray dog that would be at a specific spot each morning for his food.
Besides Puan Liza, there are two others, a young man in his twenties and another in his sixties, both Chinese, who also go around collecting garbage.
Kudos to all of them!
To the local council, I would like to say: “Although the playgrounds are provided with waste bins, why is garbage seldom collected?”
Give Puan Liza and the two guys a break, and make Bukit Jelutong or elsewhere in Malaysia a better place to live in.
Capt Kamil Abu Bakar
Shah Alam
