PULAU PANGKOR, Jan 2 — The attitude of some food stall operators and tourists in throwing rubbish outside the rubbish bins provided by the Manjung Municipal Council (MPM) has caused the surrounding areas in Teluk Nipah here to be dotted with scattered garbage.
A resident, Asmadi Teh, 58, from Kampung Teluk Kechil said the scattering of garbage often occurs during weekends or school holidays because most of the traders and tourists dump rubbish from their moving vehicles.
The resort operator said the rubbish thrown would eventually be scattered by wild dogs, wild boars or even monkeys scavenging for food.
“I hope traders and tourists will realise that their unbecoming behaviour is making Pulau Pangkor a dirty island and it will reflect upon them.
“As a resident here, I am disappointed with the attitude of the folks who don’t seem to care about cleanliness and environment,” she said when met by Bernama here today.
Another resident, Intan Najiha Sekri, 25, from Pasir Bogak said the ‘arm roll’ rubbish bins provided along the main roads are an eyesore and should be placed away from the main roads.
“I am embarrassed to read about the rubbish problem on Facebook posted by foreign tourists because in reality it is not as bad as it seemed,” she said.
MPM president, Syamsul Hazeman Md Salleh when contacted said his department would launch a ‘Lapor Pelaku’ (report the culprit) campaign this month where those with information or video and photo proof could lodge a report to his department for compounds to be issued.
“The personal details of the complainant will be kept confidential and will be rewarded with a token of appreciation. We will track down the irresponsible people who throw rubbish at will,” he said.
Syamsul Hazeman said his department has applied for an allocation from the Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) to install closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) in tourist hotspots.
“The issue of rubbish in Pulau Pangkor is not critical and we have had several discussions with traders and reminded them on the importance of maintaining cleanliness on the island.
“It is embarrassing when tourists viral the issue of rubbish on social media, thereby giving a negative impression as though Pangkor island is filthy and poorly-managed,” he said.
Meanwhile, Perak Housing, Local Government and Tourism Exco Datuk Nolee Ashilin Mohammed Radzi said MPM acted quickly with garbage collection conducted twice a day in the area.
“The state government has made cleanliness one of its main concerns. In Pangkor Island, we agree there were more tourists after the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) was lifted.
“So, I really hope that tourists, traders and local residents would play their role to ensure the cleanliness of the island and in Perak,” she said in a WhatsApp message to Bernama today.
Earlier, a 27-second video went viral on Facebook showed a couple of foreign tourists telling off some visitors in Pangkor Island for throwing garbage outside the bins provided by the authorities. — Bernama
