Participants of the gotong-royong from INTI College.
STUDENTS, lecturers and staff from INTI International College Subang (IICS) took to the streets on a mission to improve the cleanliness of the SS15 Subang Jaya neighbourhood in Selangor.
The corporate social responsibility (CSR) project jointly organised by the college’s Center for American Education (CAE) and Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ) also received the support of Subang Jaya assemblyman Michelle Ng Mei Sze’s office.
Over 300 participants from CAE, Centre for University of Hertfordshire Programmes, and the Centre for Australian Degree Programmes collected food packaging, plastic bags, boxes and other waste scattered on the streets and in the drains.
Ng said,“Gotong-royong activities build communities and empower each person to be an agent of change.
Team 7 in front of the MBSJ booth with the bags of rubbish they collected.
“My hope is that this is not a one-off activity, as keeping Subang Jaya clean is everyone’s responsibility.
“In any little way that you can, try to bring about change in your own neighbourhood.”
When the participants returned to campus, they separated and weighed the recyclable waste they collected at a booth set up by MBSJ.
There they were rewarded with a selection of items like pencil cases, mugs, T-shirts and caps for their recycling efforts.
Items that could not be recycled were set aside in another bin.
The gotong-royong not only taught students the importance of waste management, but also increased their awareness on environmental protection and encouraged them to cultivate better habits for a cleaner environment.
According to IICS chief executive Dr Jane Lim, disposal of waste continues to increase due to an increase in consumption, and this concerning situation requires action.
“Subang Jaya has been home to our campus since 1991, so it is our duty to give back to the local community.
“This will not only build a bond among our INTI community, it will also have a positive impact on the well-being of our local ecosystems,” said Lim.
She said every little act made a difference to keep the environment safe and clean.
She hoped that the activity would be the start of more efforts among the participants to conserve the environment.
The gotong-royong, part of the “Subang Jaya, Kita Punya” (Our Subang Jaya) campaign, was launched by Ng in the presence of MBSJ councillor Ken Chia, Lim and IICS staff and students.
