Despite numerous awareness campaigns and signboards warning against littering, some people just don’t seem to get the message.
However, residents of Sungai Sendayan, Negeri Sembilan have taken a more creative approach in dealing with this persistent problem.
Recently, a rather peculiar banner appeared in the area, bearing an unusual witty warning: “Don’t throw garbage here, you’ll be born without a buttock, and at night, the ghosts of the forest will come looking for you!”
According to Sin Chew Daily, this incident occurred at Sungai Sendayan, a place long plagued by littering issues.
The Village Committee has battled the problem for years, facing off against irresponsible truck drivers who frequently dump all sorts of waste at intersections and roadsides, leading to unsightly piles of rubbish.
In their attempts to curb this behaviour, the committee tried everything—polite requests, stern fine notices posted in grassy areas, and even digging ditches to prevent trucks from reversing to dump their trash. Yet, none of these measures seemed to work.
In a last-ditch effort, following the “enthusiastic suggestions” of villagers, the committee decided to take drastic action by putting up the stern and humorous warnings.
To everyone’s surprise, this unconventional tactic seems to have done the trick. Since the signs went up on Thursday (22nd), the area has remained litter-free.
The Village Committee has long been inundated with complaints from residents about the unresolved garbage problem.
Even with fine notices in place, the litterbugs remained undeterred—some even had the audacity to dump rubbish right next to the notice boards.
Left with no other options, the committee finally embraced the villagers’ suggestion to resort to this extreme measure.
“Since they don’t listen to repeated advice and warnings, and neither soft nor hard tactics work, we had no choice but to take this extreme action.” Mr. Shi, a committee member, shared.
He clarified that the banners were not intended to curse anyone but rather to serve as a deterrent to those who lack civic-mindedness.
This inventive approach appears to be a win for the community, proving that sometimes, a touch of humour might just be the best way to get the message across.
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