Once again, it is the weekend! Some of us are out for Sunday prayer and others are out for recreational activities! As I was driving home from church, something caught my eye. A family car, with somebody tossing a soiled baby diaper out of the window! The diaper hit the pavement, causing it to spill open, revealing its contents.
I was appalled, to say the least. Could they not have waited until they reached home to discard their rubbish? Why resort to littering?
However, incidents like this have become a common sight. When I drive downtown to run errands, I see many people discarding all sorts of rubbish from their cars. Cigarette butts, food wrappings and even soda cans!
In housing areas, the effect is on a grander scale. People discard old tyres, broken pots and rotten food in their backyard, causing some areas to release a less than favourable odour. The real hazards, however, only start when it rains.
The rain that builds up in these old tyres, cans and pots provide the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. This has caused the re-emergence of dengue in areas that were previously considered hot-spots for the disease.
Not only that, but this waste also attracts other equally dangerous pests, such as rats and mice! My area has recently been swarmed by rats! Despite my efforts, they always seem to be seen around my house, gnawing and biting my electrical wires and storage containers.
I clean my house and backyard, making sure I do not have anything that will attract these pests, but alas I hear them scurrying around outside my house, and chewing my precious storage containers.
It is important to note that rat pee is dangerous, and could potentially cause death if victims are not treated. Rats and mice also serve as a host for all sorts of dangerous parasites and diseases.
One of the diseases caused by either infected rat faeces or bite is rat bite fever (RBF), which if not treated, can be fatal. Can you imagine what would happen if an unsuspecting child at home alone were to be bitten by an infected rat?
To be honest, I cannot understand what goes on in the minds of litterbugs. I have been to public parks that have recycling bins. However, rubbish is still found all over the park.
Polystyrene containers and plastic cups could be found along the pavement, all filled with stagnant water. It seems to me that littering has become a Malaysian habit, and it is truly sad to see more people starting to pick up this disgusting habit, especially younger people.
People tend to give smokers a hard time. However, in my opinion, litterbugs have become a far worse problem than smokers. I am thankful that the authorities banned smoking in certain areas. However, we still have a long way to go to ensure healthy living among Malaysians.
The problem of littering almost certainly starts from home. Children do not know any better, so when they see a family member littering, the likelihood that they too will start littering is quite high.
In schools, children are taught not to litter. They are taught the importance of the environment, as well as why the practice of recycling, reusing and reducing is essential. However, if parents or guardians do not follow these practices at home, and instead do the exact opposite, all these school lessons will go to waste.
When it comes to smoking, there are designated areas for smokers to light up for a quick puff, without the smoke making way to non-smokers. But littering? There is no such thing as a designated area for littering.
It is just as bad as smoking in public areas such as eateries. Therefore, littering should be treated the same way as smoking. Strict laws should be put in place to tackle this behaviour.
I have always taught my children not to litter. On some occasions, I have caught my students littering. When I asked them why they did that, they sheepishly said that the rubbish bin was far and that the mak cik cleaner would clean it up.
“Imagine if the mak cik cleaner was not around to sweep up this rubbish!” I said. “With that mentality, this place would be filled with rubbish! It is also not their job to pick up after you. The rubbish bin is close by, just walk to it and discard your rubbish there.”
In all honesty, littering will be a tough thing to kick. However, as a society, we should encourage one another to kick the habit, such as by organising a massive neighbourhood spring cleaning.
Drastic change seems to be near impossible. However, with baby steps, I believe we will be able to solve this problem together.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the New Sarawak Tribune.
