Compiled by C. ARUNO, JUNAID IBRAHIM and R. ARAVINTHAN
WORKING in the heat and rain, and even putting their lives in jeopardy, are among the challenges Alam Flora’s unsung heroes – the cleaning service workers – face daily, Kosmo! reported.
Its special unit employee, Abdul Razak Mohd, 51, said his work puts him in a lot of life-threatening situations such as risk of bacterial infection and dealing with venomous animals.
Abdul Razak, who has been with the company for 18 years, added that he would develop itchy rashes all over his body because of his work.
“I have to unclog drains in the city that could cause a flash flood. Despite the danger, I have to do it because it’s my duty,” he said.
Public drainage cleaning supervisor, Muhammad Firdaus Jamil, 27, said one experience he will never forget was the flood last year.
“It was so disheartening to see a lot of residential areas flooded. Our team worked hard to clean the area to prevent contagious diseases from spreading.
“Throughout my five years working in this field, that was one of the hardest experiences where my team and I witnessed a lot of dead fish and rubbish scattered all over,” he said, adding that they were exposed to diseases during the clean-up.
However, for general worker, Roslan Yazid, the job was fulfilling as he could get close to residents.
“We can meet residents and this helps strengthen the bond between us. From there, we can improve our services thanks to their feedback.
“Our job might not be as glamorous as others, but if not for us, who would pick up the trash?” the 45-year-old asked.
> The Registrar of Societies (ROS) said 199 new political parties have sent their registration applications in light of the upcoming general election.
However, only 12 were accepted, Sinar Harian reported.
“The number of political parties approved since the country’s independence up till now is 67, with the number of branches for all political parties totalling 84,726.
“Of the total, 36 political parties are registered in Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak has 13 and Sabah,18.
“As for non-governmental organisations, 83,260 have been successfully registered since independence,” ROS said in a statement.
It added that it has a very strict procedure for approving applications for new political parties based on the requirements of the Societies Act.
● The above article is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with this ‘ >’sign, it denotes a separate news item.