Environmental Cleanliness Is Also An issue Of Life Or Death

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 (Bernama) -- Raising issues about murders or serious crimes will definitely speed up the pulse of Malaysians as opposed to their nonchalance when broached about the subject of cleanliness. Environment Research Centre chief Prof Ku Halim Ku Hamid said this was ironic given that environmental cleanliness was also critical and required attention since it would affect not one person but the entire society in the long term. "People pay attention to life and death. They overlook the fact that garbage and environmental cleanliness also give huge impacts," he said when contacted by Bernama. For example, he said, environment pollution helped in the proliferation of the Aedes mosquito which posed a threat as lives had been lost from dengue. Regarding the prolonged ignorance among Malaysian about cleanliness as scary, he said the issue must be given drastic attention to ensure the coming generations would not inherit a dirty environment full of garbage. Ku Halim said if the attitude persisted, the initiative of the government to encourage recycling this year would also encounter difficulties. He clarified that, other than achieving prolific progress, the factor of clealiness and the environment was also crucial for Malaysia to achieve developed nation status by 2020. Meanwhile, Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (PPSPPA) ex-chief executive officer Zaini Md Nor said the society is seen as not comprehending the effort of the government in spending almost RM1 billion a year to manage garbage in the country. "The fact is, if society can recycle and dispose of its garbage well, the government can save on the cost of management and manpower and the money can be put to other beneficial use," he said, adding that 20,000 tonnes of rubbish was produced by the country each day. Society must be inculcated since young on the culture of ensuring cleanliness and looking after the environment because it was not something to be treated lightly, Zaini added. -- BERNAMA