Need to change mindset on cleanliness - The Star

May 12, 2008

The people’s mindset on clean-liness should change in order to ensure a better and cleaner living environment for all, Penang Health, Welfare and Caring Society Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said.

The Sungai Puyu assemblyman said it was useless to keep clean-ing up an area if the public did not have a right mindset on clean-liness.

“Do not only clean the envi-ronment but your heart and mind too,” he said at a gotong royong at Taman Free School in Penang recently.

He said the local councils would look after the cleanliness of their areas but they needed the co-ope-ration of the public.

“Prevention is better than cure. We want to educate the public on the importance of keeping the environment clean.

Phee said Penang was a tourism destination and without a clean environment it was difficult to attract foreign visitors.

“May is also a time where there are more dengue fever cases and we all know that clogged drains contribute to this,” he said.

He said part of the assessment paid by ratepayers every year had to be used to clean up public areas to ensure a cleaner and better living environment for all.

“We are appealing to the public to be our partner to make Penang a cleaner state and together eradicate dengue fever,” he said.

Phee said the public could make complaints to the Penang Municipal Council through its 24-hour hotline (04-2637637) or e-mail aduan@mppp.gov.my and forward a copy of their complaints to him at pheeboonpoh@penang.gov.my and their respective assemblymen.

About 60 council workers took part in the gotong royong orga-nised by Datuk Keramat assemblyman Jagdeep Singh Deo.

Jagdeep Singh said he noticed that many drains in the area were not well-maintained and some were even overgrown with plants and weeds.

“Datuk Keramat and Sungai Pinang are among the few flood-prone areas and we believe that basic things like clogged drains will definitely worsen the situation if they are not attended to,” he said.

Council secretary Tan Cheng Chui said the council would undertake the responsibility of cleaning up the drains in the area.

“We start with Taman Free School and we will extend the cleaning effort to other constituencies and hopefully make Penang the cleanest state in the country,” he said