NGO goes to the ground to clean up KL

TO commemorate World Cleanup Day (WCD) and 60th Malaysia Day, Malaysian Humanitarian Foundation (MHF) participated in “Jom Bersih KL” organised by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) at Dataran DBKL.

The objective of the programme was to increase awareness in the community about the importance of keeping the environment clean and environmental sustainability through various activities related to cleanliness.

World Cleanup Day Malaysia country leader and MHF executive director Henry Teh Kok Kheng said, “We are excited to explore how we can work together to help Malaysia achieve zero waste by 2030.

“This effort needs all of us to work together like a close-knit family, with one shared goal: the well-being of Malaysia.”

WCD stands as a global movement aimed at raising awareness about the looming threat of mismanaged waste worldwide.

It strives to get 5% of each nation’s population actively engaged in regular cleanup activities.

In recent years, Malaysia has seen around 30,000 volunteer participants annually in WCD activities.

Given Malaysia’s current population of about 34 million, the ideal number of volunteers should be 1.7 million to make a significant impact.

Some countries have already achieved remarkable volunteer participation rates, such as Slovenia and Kosovo, with rates at 13% and 11%, respectively.

In Asia, nations like Kyrgyzstan (10%), Cambodia (5%), Indonesia (4%) and the Maldives (3%) are also making significant progress towards a cleaner, more sustainable future.

MHF employs a multifaceted strategy to boost volunteer participation by offering various opportunities for community clean-up.

Volunteering can be done individually, with family and friends or as part of a corporate team.

“We provide full support, including project help, training, digital tools and knowledge sharing, thanks to our global network of 191 WCD partners,” said Teh.

Malaysia grapples with the daunting challenge of over 38,427 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW) generated daily, equating to approximately 1.17kg of waste per person, according to 2021 data.

The composition of MSW reveals a troubling predominance of food waste, followed closely by plastics, paper, mixed organics, wood and other materials, with a staggering 82.5% destined for landfills.

MHF, in close collaboration with diverse stakeholders such as Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) and local authorities from each state, aspires to make significant strides in addressing these distressing statistics, with a firm commitment to delivering measurable, auditable results by 2025.

“WCD is not just a one-day event; it’s a commitment to lasting change,” said Teh.