MUKAH: An excellent occasion to watch harmonious living and the spirit of neighbourliness is when a communal work party (gotong-royong) is in action.
Such an occasion came up recently when people from various walks of life carried out a divisional-level fight against Aedes mosquitoes along Jalan Desa Merpati here.
The encouraging turnout of the residents also showed a rising awareness of the danger of Aedes mosquitoes, the dreaded carriers of the dengue virus.
District Officer Shafrie Saili, who represented Mukah Division Resident Hamdiah Bakir, said the danger posed by Aedes should be taken seriously.
“We should treat Aedes as national enemy number one, just like drugs,” he said when officiating at the event at the compound of a block of shophouses owned by Hock Peng Sdn Bhd here.
Dr Mohd Syafiq Hassan (who represented the District Health Officer), and Divisional Public Works Department (JKR) engineer Toh Chee Leong also took part in the clean-up.
Shafrie said the public, especially those at housing estates, should not leave the maintenance of cleanliness to the authorities alone because the responsibility belonged to everyone.
To him, the best way to control Aedes mosquitoes was to take care of cleanliness in and around the homes.
He stressed that among the important things to pay attention to were places which encouraged the breeding of Aedes such as blocked drains, empty containers and even flower pots.
Organising chairman Abdul Rahman Abdullah was glad that Jalan Desa Merpati was again chosen for the clean-up after a similar event was held there last year.
The clean-up was organised by Mukah Divison Health Department in collaboration with Neighbourhood Unit (KRT) of King Sum and Hong Liong Garden. They were assisted by Mukah Division Resident’s Office, Dalat–Mukah District Council (MDDM), Mukah Public Works Department, and Hock Peng Sdn Bhd.
