The Star, StarMetro Central, August 2, 2003
Story by W.K. Mak
Six schools in Petaling Jaya have got together to prove that they too can make a difference in society under the ‘Impact Your World, Clean Up!’ campaign.
Participating in the campaign are SM Sultan Abdul Samad, SM Bukit Bintang, SM Taman Petaling, SM Assunta, SM La Salle and SM Catholic High School.
Organised by a non-governmental organisation called Life Community Services, the project will see the schools competing against one another to see which among them can maintain top-notch cleanliness throughout the three-month campaign.
The programme, which was launched by Bukit Gasing assemblyman Dr Lim Thuang Seng, started with some performances from the schools and proceeded with the cleaning of the SM Sultan Abdul Samad toilets.
”The clean-up is a start as the schools will have to continue keeping their premises spotless. Officers from Dr Lim’s office will conduct spot checks and give marks to the schools for their efforts,” said organising chairman Julie Khoo.
Aside from physical cleanliness, Khoo said the campaign would also involve mental cleanliness as the effort was also an anti-pornography drive.
”I have seen a documentary on serial killers and each and everyone of them said that it all began with pornography, so stamping out this social ill is very important,” she added.
Lim, in his speech to the students, said the campaign was all about the students’ attitude and how they could help influence others around them.
”Currently, Selangor generates 2,400 tonnes of garbage daily and 300 new cars are registered each week. That means there’s a lot of pollution that the government has to deal with today,” said Lim.
”But what we face today will be nothing compared to what you will face tomorrow if we don’t start getting concerned and adopting the right attitude.”
Lim added that the whole project was in line with the state’s vision of achieving a ”developed” status by 2005, which means a lot more than just modern infrastructure.
”The attitude of the people of Selangor is one of the aspects that we need to change in line with this vision because we can have the best facilities, but what use is it when we have people who vandalise and litter?”
For more information on the project, call Life Community Services at 03-7958 2777.
Pix: Dr Lim handing out buckets and brooms to the students to be used during the three-month-long campaign.
Pix: Students from SMK Sultan Abdul Samad sprucing up their school’s toilets.
Pix: The students from the six participating schools taking the campaign oath at the launch held at SM Sultan Abdul Samad.-Photos by Chua Kok Hwa.