Unsung Heroes Keeping Ipoh City Clean

Almost daily, Mohd Yusof Ibrahim leaves his house in Tanjung Rambutan at the crack of dawn to head to his workplace, Ipoh City Council (MBI).

He and his colleagues then attend a briefing and by 6.45 am, they are off to their real “workplace” – around the city collecting garbage.

Mohd Yusof, 49, a general worker in MBI, has been doing this work for the last 17 years. He says maintaining cleanliness in the city is very challenging due to the attitude of irresponsible individuals who dispose of trash indiscriminately.

“The attitude of people (littering everywhere)… despite our best efforts, there is still trash, so we can’t do much,” he told Bernama.

The father-of-four said although he is supposed to work only five days a week, he chooses to work on his rest days as well, not only to earn overtime allowances but also to do his part to ensure the cleanliness of the city’s public spaces.

“I rarely take leave. To increase my income, I have to work harder. Furthermore, if we don’t do it (collect waste), no one else will. It’s our responsibility to uphold the trust placed in us by MBI,” he added.

CHALLENGES

Mohd Yusof is among the 75 workers in the Solid Waste Collection Unit at MBI’s Municipal Services Department. According to unit supervisor Shahrir Abd Rahim, they carry out waste collection every day, including weekends and public holidays.

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“Our (garbage collection) trucks operate daily, in the morning and afternoon. In the morning, we cover residential areas and the city centre, while in the afternoon, we focus only on the city centre,” he said.

“My job is to assign workers under my supervision to their designated tasks, organise the areas that need (waste) collection and monitor the collection zones specified by the department,” he said, adding he is assisted by field supervisors.

Shahrir said one of the daily challenges faced by field workers is the haphazard parking by motorists, especially in the city centre, which makes it difficult for MBI trucks to access waste collection sites.

“Sometimes, some waste is left behind, and when that happens, people complain. When there are complaints, it seems like the council is not addressing the issues,” he said, requesting cooperation from the community to help facilitate MBI's waste collection tasks.

“We also face weather challenges, but whether it’s raining or sunny, the work still needs to be completed.”

WASTE COLLECTION SOP

Since the Perak government did not adopt the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007, solid waste collection and public cleansing activities in the state are carried out by the local authorities, including MBI.

Elaborating on this, MBI Municipal Services Department director S. Manisegaran said its solid waste collection and public cleansing tasks are carried out efficiently and in accordance with the guidelines set out under the MBI Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Master Plan 2020-2025.

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“We have a master plan and standard operating procedures for solid waste collection and public cleansing in place to carry out these activities effectively,” he said.

Manisegaran also said MBI’s waste collection activities are carried out by MBI itself and three appointed contractors: LTC Alam Bersih Sdn Bhd, Maju Perak Utilities Management Sdn Bhd and Sulomas Sdn Bhd.

Its public cleansing activities, meanwhile, encompass a free scheduled collection of garden and bulk waste; cleaning up illegal dumpsites; sweeping main roads, protocol roads and city centre roads; sweeping back alleys of buildings; and sweeping residential areas and pedestrian pathways.

From the community's perspective, Manisegaran said MBI continuously strives to raise public awareness on proper waste disposal by distributing solid waste management guidelines to residential and business premises.

“Since 2021, a total of 253,641 residents have been given health education related to environmental care and also educated about their responsibilities as Ipoh residents.

“As of April 2024, 1,756 'No Littering' signboards have been installed at illegal dumping hotspots in areas under MBI's jurisdiction. This initiative aims to address the problem of illegal waste dumping and warn irresponsible city dwellers not to litter or dump waste in unauthorised places,” he said.

He added MBI’s Anti-Litter Unit has also successfully controlled illegal dumping through more stringent and frequent operations, with 1,214 fines totalling RM498,750 imposed in 2023.

Up to May this year, a total of 623 fines totalling RM161,050 have been issued for the same offence.

Manisegaran said the construction of domestic waste collection centres in rural areas has also contributed to the reduction of illegal dumping hotspots. So far, 13 collection centres have been built and waste collection is carried out daily.

He said MBI's initiatives have also led to a drastic reduction in the number of complaints received from the public related to domestic waste, with only 819 complaints recorded last year compared to 3,864 in 2022.

LOW-CARBON, WALKABLE CITY

Meanwhile, Manisegaran said among his department's achievements in helping Ipoh to be on track to becoming a low-carbon city and walkable city by 2030 is the reduction of illegal waste dumping sites in the areas under its jurisdiction.

From 1,672 locations identified in 2020, MBI successfully reduced the number to just 120 by the end of 2023.

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In September 2021, MBI introduced the free garden and bulk waste collection service to enhance environmental quality. To provide this service, 17 open trucks worth RM3.668 million were acquired and 56 general workers and 14 drivers were appointed.

“Following the implementation of the free garbage bin distribution programme for Ipoh residents in 2021, a total of 122,400 garbage bins have been distributed as of June 2024, covering 355 residential areas.

“Through this programme, we hope to instil a culture of cleanliness in the people starting from their homes, and foster a community that appreciates and prioritises environmental cleanliness, thereby curbing littering in inappropriate areas,” Manisegaran said.

He also said MBI is currently transitioning from a linear economy to a circular economy, which emphasises returning resources to the environmental and economic systems through reuse and waste prevention initiatives.

Among the measures implemented is the collection of electronic waste, used cooking oil and used tyres. MBI has also established a ‘Trash4Cash Automated Drive-Thru Recycling Centre’ in collaboration with Maju Perak Utilities Management Sdn Bhd.

“The establishment of 'Trash4Cash' demonstrates MBI's commitment and Maju Perak Utilities Management’s dedication to creating a clean and healthy environment for the local residents.

“This public-private partnership is seen as a step in the right direction to realise MBI's aspiration of seeing Ipoh transforming into a ‘smart and green’ city by 2030,” he said, adding the Trash4cash recycling centre operates fully on solar energy, using digital applications.

Translated by Rema Nambiar