Recently, authorities in Johor Bahru had to intervene and remove 2.2 tons of garbage from the home of an elderly man who had transformed his residence into a Dumpsite, causing substantial distress to his neighbours.
According to Sinar Harian, the massive cleanup effort involved five workers, a bulldozer, and a 16-ton roll-on/roll-off (RORO) truck to clear the accumulated waste which included food scraps, plastic piles, boxes, and cans.
Could smell the stench 200m away
The chairman of Bandar Baru Permas Jaya, A Habib Syed Sallilah Aasad, told Sinar Harian that the smell of the garbage was so overpowering that it disrupted the festive atmosphere during the Eid celebrations.
“Even his neighbours complained of smelling the foul odour from about 200 meters away,” reported Aasad.
Neighbours had become increasingly frustrated, forced to keep their windows and doors shut to avoid the stench and the swarm of insects attracted by the garbage.
Refused help to remove the garbage
Despite previous offers of help from the Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB) and the Johor Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp), the man had consistently refused assistance, insisting that he would manage the cleaning himself.
However, his continued non-cooperation led SWM Environment Sdn. Bhd. to finally step in and conduct the cleanup.
The incident has highlighted several similar situations in the area, with other residences also serving as unofficial waste collection points.
Aasad expressed his hope that this decisive action would encourage other homeowners to proactively manage waste to prevent similar situations in the future.
