ANTI-DENGUE CAMPAIGN: Some of the Taman Susur Jambu residents pose for a group photograph before the cleaning campaign.
SARIKEI: Acting on the directive of District Officer Abang Mohd Porkan Abang Budiman, residents in the district held a ‘gotong-royong’ to rid of breeding places for Aedes mosquitoes in their respective homes.
The ultimate objective of the campaign was to get the involvement of everyone in an effort to prevent the spread of the dreaded dengue disease.
In a letter distributed to all the Development and Security Committees of villages, longhouses and housing estates in the District, Porkan called on everyone to play their bit to ensure their respective areas were free of dengue.
However, the campaign was only a starting point as the effort to eradicate the dengue menace once and for all required them to regularly destroy all potential breeding places of Aedes mosquitoes such as empty tins, bottles, unused tyres and other water-retaining items.
To show the seriousness on the part of the government to combat dengue, Porkan reminded the people of the stern action that would be taken on errant residents.
“Those caught with Aedes mosquitoes breeding in their premises would be compounded RM500 as provided under the local council by-law or liable to a more stringent punishment if convicted in court,” he stressed in the letter.
During the launching of state Asean Dengue Day observation here recently, the state Health director Datu Zulkifli Jantan appealed to the people to spend just 10 minutes every week to ensure there was no breeding places for Aedes mosquitoes in their homes or compound.
Zulkifli also advised villages, longhouses and housing estates to form Communication for Behavioral Impact (Combi) promoter in their respective areas to coordinate the anti-dengue activities.
One such ‘gotong-royong’ activity carried out by residents of Taman Susur Jambu Phase 2 yesterday received an encouraging response from the residents. They were briefed on what was required to be done before they dispersed to carry out the cleaning in their homes.
JKKK chairman Dana Awan, in his short briefing, advised the residents to make it a habit to ensure there was no breeding place for Aedes mosquitoes in their homes.