It takes a community to care for the environment and that is what some 150 volunteers did last Saturday by clearing the Klang River banks of solid waste. They also upgraded public facilities at the Kampung Sungai Sireh Tambahan II fishermen’s jetty in Port Klang.
Themed Fishermen’s Jetty Beautification Programme, volunteers removed 2,788kg of trash and refurbished public facilities at the jetty besides doing landscaping and encouraging residents to practise waste separation and to recycle.
Jointly led by Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Berhad in collaboration with Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd and KDEB Waste Management Sdn Bhd,
the event was a public outreach activity under the Selangor Maritime Gateway (SMG) project, an initiative by the Selangor government to clean, rehabilitate and develop Klang River and the surroundings to create a maritime economy.
Perangsang Selangor deputy chief executive officer (operations) Suzila Khairuddin said the company was committed to raising public awareness and sense of responsibility towards preserving the environment.
“One of our key initiatives is encouraging communities to participate in and practise concepts of recycling and waste separation in their daily routine to help ensure a clean and protected environment,” she said.
Suzila added such mindfulness was even more imperative for residents along waterways like Klang River.
Syaiful Azmen Nordin, Managing Director of LLSB, which has been mandated to spearhead the SMG project, said: “Keeping our rivers clean is a collective effort involving government, businesses and the community. We want people to take ownership of Klang River and to care for it, which is why we welcome the efforts of Perangsang Selangor in cleaning the riverbanks and enhancing the jetty area.”
Kampung Sungai Sireh Tambahan II is home to almost 100 residents whose main livelihood is fishing in the Straits of Melaka.
The SMG project also aims to improve the socio-economic wellbeing of communities along the river.
The initiative will benefit Kampung Sungai Sireh as it opens up new income opportunities via activities like the SMG River Taxi service which starts next year.
