Johor resident who works in Singapore starts grassroots squad to tackle rubbish problem

JOHOR BAHRU – For 11 years, Mohd Karami Rashid has been crossing the Causeway to work as a cleaner in Singapore, where he sees how public cleanliness is treated by many as a shared civic responsibility.

Whenever he returns to Johor, the contrast is hard to ignore.

In 2023, he started to post on social media videos about clogged drains, rubbish-filled rivers and flood-prone roads to ask why public spaces in Johor could not be better maintained.

“At first, I was only making videos on social media by myself to talk about cleanliness issues and compare Malaysia with Singapore,” Karami, 37, told The Straits Times.

“The inspiration came from my own experience working in the cleaning sector in Singapore and seeing how cleanliness there is made a shared responsibility by society.”

Cleanliness has long been a public issue in Malaysia, where overflowing bins, clogged drains, illegal dumping and rubbish-strewn public spaces remain common complaints. This occurs despite regular government campaigns and municipal clean-up efforts.

While local councils are often blamed for poor enforcement and inconsistent maintenance, many believe the real issue is that Malaysians often see maintaining cleanliness as someone else’s job.

Recognising the limits of what raising awareness can do, Karami decided in July 2024 that posting videos was no longer enough.

He rallied several fellow Malaysians working in Singapore and began cleaning up neglected areas in Johor, launching what would later be known as Skuad Johor Bersih (SJB), a volunteer effort aimed at pushing the message that cleanliness is not solely the government’s responsibility.

SJB’s first videos were filmed along the Eastern Dispersal Link highway, near the Sogo shopping complex in Johor Bahru. This area was chosen as it would flood frequently during heavy rain due to the rubbish-clogged drains.

“I felt an issue like this needed attention because it affected the public,” he said.

He said the condition of the area has since improved.

Aside from clearing rubbish, the group also tackles fallen branches and overgrown bushes that add to the unkept cityscape around the Johor state capital.

Since then, SJB has moved to other public spaces, including rivers, which Karami described as among the worst areas his group has encountered.

He said the problem was not the absence of cleaning efforts, but the attitude of some members of the public who continue to dump rubbish indiscriminately, including in waterways.

“For me, cleanliness is not only about picking up rubbish,” he said. “It is also about educating and changing the attitude of society so that people become more responsible towards the environment.”

Karami said he has not received any reprimand from the authorities over his videos, despite frequently questioning why action had not been taken in some areas.

Instead, he said Johor caretaker Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi has shown support for SJB’s efforts, including by joining the group’s clean-up work.

Karami said Onn described the group’s effort as being aligned with the state government’s Johor Bersih agenda of fostering a culture of cleanliness among the public.

“What I am doing is to voice the issues faced by the people and help find solutions to longstanding legacy problems,” he said.

“I believe our goal is the same, which is to see the people’s issues resolved and public services improved.”

Despite the name, Skuad Johor Bersih is not a registered non-governmental organisation and does not have formal membership. Similar informal groups have also emerged elsewhere in Malaysia, such as Hiyaz Community in Kota Bharu, Kelantan.

Like SJB, Hiyaz Community expressed that it was motivated by the lack of care by the local authorities, prompting members to do their own clean-up work in and around the Kelantan state capital.

Karami said he works mainly with friends, as the clean-up work is voluntary. Currently, there are 10 people who regularly take part in the group’s clean-up work.

Hundreds of people have contacted him to express interest in joining, he said, but he has kept the operation small. A Telegram group linked to the initiative now has about 530 members, and it is mainly a platform to share information and raise awareness about cleanliness issues.

“I am not an NGO,” he said. “I am only a volunteer using my own money and ability because I believe cleanliness is a shared responsibility.”

Zul Yusof, 32, a construction worker from Johor’s Pasir Gudang who has been following SJB’s activities on social media, said he is excited to know that Malaysians are taking direct action to improve cleanliness.

Zul said he often watches videos from the United States and Britain about people going out to clean their cities, or helping poor families clean up their yards or powerwash their sidewalks.

“It’s great to see that there are people here doing the same thing,” he told ST. “It’s not just a foreigner thing, but also something we can do in our own cities.”

Karami said Johor could learn from Singapore’s civic mindedness and cleanliness standards, especially as the two neighbours grow more closely connected through trade, work and transport links.

He added that while he has seen positive changes in Johor under the current state administration, the effort must continue.

“I hope our leaders speak out more about the issue of cleanliness,” Karami said.

“But cleanliness is not only the responsibility of the government,” he said. “It is the responsibility of all of us as people who love Johor.”