Dr Uma (fourth right), Nor Laila (centre) and Dr Huang (fourth left) hold a banner with the words ‘say no to plastic’ written on it during a photo-call with the volunteers, including Prof Dodge Wan (left).
MIRI: The recent ‘gotong-royong’ (work party) conducted by Litter Busters at Saberkas Commercial Area here was meant to encourage more Mirians to keep their neighbourhoods rubbish-free.
Litter Busters is a group set up by Malaysian Red Crescent (MRC) Miri Chapter health and community division chairwoman Dr Uma Devi.
She is assisted by fellow MRC Miri member Nor Laila Abdul Pata, whose team has ‘adopted’ the Saberkas Commercial Area.
The morning ‘gotong-royong’ last Sunday gathered the Litter Busters, local volunteers and members of the Krokop Neighbourhood Committee (RT) to clear the area of plastic waste.
Prof Dominique Dodge Wan of Curtin University Sarawak and Krokop RT chairman Dr Vincent Huang were among those involved in the work party.
According to Dr Uma, her project aims to instil in the public mindset the awareness of the importance to have ‘an environmentally-friendly Miri’, so that the future generations could live in a clean city.
“The indiscriminate dumping of plastic would eventually become a thing of the past.
“Additionally, I also hope more local leaders would come forward and head the same clean-up programme for commercial areas and marketplaces here, and for the local vendors to ensure that the vicinity around their premises would be kept clean at all times,” she told reporters here.
To know more about Litter Busters, call Dr Uma at 013-837 0033, or Nor Laila (012-8586121).