EDUCATE LITTERBUGS NOT HELP THEM

I refer to your report,"Volunteers to clean up Thaipusam rubbish", (nst Street 4 January).
Year after year, and I am positive that the same scenario at the Sri Subramaniam Swamy Temple after Thaipusam this year would be the same , as tons of waste and litter, would be left behind by hawkers,stall holders, visitors, and devotees, for someone else to pick.

Thanks to the Selayang Municipal Council and Alam Flora who as usual, would clear the rubbish and clean up the place within a couple of days. These die hard litterbugs will never learn to keep the place clean, simply because they know that the authorities who are paid will do the job, for them, so why bother?
This year Sampah Masyarakat, a non -profit organisation , together with about 100 volunteers will join the Selayang Municipal and Alam Flora workers to reduce the rubbish left behind during the celebrations.
While I applaud the noble cause , I feel that the move to encourage youths to participate in the cleanliness work ,when everyone has left the site is ridiculous .I dont understand the rational behind the move.
Instead Sampah Masyarakat should organize an educational programme , to remind and to warn the public not to throw rubbish anywhere they like. especially in a sacred place like the Temple. Volunteers should be going around mingling with the people, distributing plastic bags and encourage the people to throw their rubbish into the bag which they should be carrying around until they come to the nearest bin where they can deposit the bag.Volunteers should be given loud hailers to encourage people , hawkers and stall holders not to litter but to put all their rubbish in the bins provided.Enforcement officers should also be going around , warning litterbugs of the possibility of being fine.
If Sampah Masyarakat, the volunteers ,and
the enforcement officers could play their role strictly and positively, I am sure there will be less rubbish to collect from the floor.There is a need to change the mindset of these litterbugs.


NOR SHAHID MOHD NOR
PETALING JAYA