JERANTUT, Dec 23 — A team of nearly 80 volunteers spent six hours yesterday clearing and cleaning approximately one tonne of rubbish from the home of a senior citizen in Taman Koperasi near here.
According to Harian Metro, the effort, led by state assemblyman Haris Salleh Hamzah, aimed to assist 75-year-old Halimah Mat Arop, whose home had fallen into severe disrepair due to her age and financial struggles.
Halimah’s house was so cluttered with rubbish that it had become impossible to move around inside. With no space left to sleep, she resorted to sleeping on the porch, using an old blanket as a curtain for privacy.
Haris, who had visited Halimah last month, described her situation as unsafe and deeply troubling.
The team not only removed old items from inside the house but also cleared the overgrown garden and washed the surrounding area. In total, around one tonne of rubbish, including plastic, bottles, old clothes, and damaged furniture, was collected in two large bins provided by SWCorp.
“The house had a foul smell because she kept many cats, which would defecate everywhere,” he told Metro, adding that the unhygienic conditions posed health and safety risks, including the threat of venomous animals.
Volunteers from various agencies, including SWCorp, the Fire and Rescue Department, the Social Welfare Department (JKM), the Jerantut District Council, and the Jerantut District Health Office, collaborated on the clean-up.
Haris, who is also Jerantut Umno division chief, noted that Halimah had been receiving aid from JKM since 2021 but had been unable to maintain her home due to her age and her need to work at the Jerantut Farmers’ Market to support herself.
“I can no longer manage to clean the house because of my age,” she was quoted as saying.
Halimah expressed her heartfelt gratitude to all who contributed to the effort.
