Garbage woes
By Rosli Abidin Yahya

Damaged toilet bowls discarded by irresponsible individuals. Photo by Zureena Abdullah 

Call it irresponsible acts but some people just love to dump anything at a place they find convenient. From water villages, beaches to open areas at housing estates, people's obsessions had caused such places to be an eyesore. Not to mention that some of the items they threw could deteriorate quickly leaving bad smell to linger for a long time. The case in point is a commercial location in Kiulap where some irresponsible citizens have indiscriminately thrown damaged toilet bowls at an open space within the building's vicinity. Members of the public alleged it could be the work of a nearby business establishment or those who had renovated their offices or shops. They called for people to be more civic-minded in caring for the environment.

"Due to negligence and ignorance, disposal of rubbish or unwanted items had been done by irresponsible individuals. Such action is definitely an eyesore for passer-bys and of course, an embarrassment for tourists visiting our country. At the end of the day, we have to pay the price. The effective action would be to 'rehabilitate' the people's attitude," they said.

They further added that people need to be educated so that they gradually change their irresponsible way of behaving. "Such rehabilitation would be more economical and would benefit in the long term. We can start by educating our younger generation first," they claimed.

They feel that people should be made more aware and appreciative of the environment by organising charity walks, talks, workshops, exhibitions and seminars. Through such activities, some people may comprehend the message though some would unfortunately turn a deaf ear.

"Some individuals take the environment for granted and fail to appreciate the beauty of God's gift to mankind. Somewhere at the back of our minds, we may consider any place including rivers as a convenient dumping place. We should shrug off the thought. People must learn to appreciate nature and give it a top priority in our daily life," they said.

They suggested drastic penalties should be imposed upon those who care less for the environment. "Usually people will only learn their lessons if they are hit where it hurts."

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin